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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 116 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 little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. scale — size or range
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. deal — to handle
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. fall — to drop
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. stock — shares
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. fall — to drop
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. scale — in music
  16. bat — the animal
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. pound — a weight
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. stock — goods
  22. fall — the season
  23. bear — the animal
  24. bat — for baseball

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