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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. kick — in football
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. hand — in cards
  5. stock — goods
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. date — the fruit
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. current — electric
  11. object — an aim
  12. hand — help
  13. saw — the tool
  14. current — happening now
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. saw — the tool
  18. current — of water
  19. object — to protest
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. object — a thing
  23. stock — shares
  24. bear — the animal

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