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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. game — a match
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. bear — the animal
  5. can — to be able to
  6. rest — a break
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. stock — shares
  9. game — wild animals
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. stock — goods
  12. can — a tin
  13. spring — a coil
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. spring — the season
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. rest — what's left
  18. bear — the animal
  19. can — a tin
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. rest — what's left
  24. patient — a sick person

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com