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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 120 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 ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. staff — employees
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. suit — clothes
  6. staff — a stick
  7. ground — a position
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. present — a gift
  10. suit — in cards
  11. stock — shares
  12. ground — crushed
  13. present — the time now
  14. staff — employees
  15. bear — the animal
  16. present — there
  17. bear — the animal
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. suit — to fit
  20. perch — the fish
  21. stock — goods
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. ground — the earth

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