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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. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. bear — the animal
  4. tube — the underground
  5. bear — the animal
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. stock — shares
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. bore — to tire
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. shower — rain
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. shower — to wash
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bore — to drill
  19. wound — an injury
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. wound — an injury
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. tube — a container

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