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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. wake — a trail
  3. march — music
  4. march — the month
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. stock — goods
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. march — the month
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. bear — the animal
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. bear — the animal
  15. can — a tin
  16. stock — shares
  17. can — to be able to
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. can — a tin
  20. stem — to come from
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. pitch — completely
  24. stock — a soup base

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