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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. stock — shares
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. firm — steady
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. stock — goods
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. present — there
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. present — the time now
  13. present — a gift
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. wake — a trail
  16. bear — the animal
  17. firm — decided
  18. firm — a company
  19. mine — for digging
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. bear — the animal
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. fork — in a road

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