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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. cap — a hat
  4. mark — a grade
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. track — a path
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. mark — a trace
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. cap — a lid
  11. stock — goods
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. track — a song
  14. bark — to shout
  15. mug — a face
  16. bear — the animal
  17. cap — of ice
  18. track — to keep track
  19. bear — the animal
  20. mug — to rob
  21. mug — a cup
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. stock — shares
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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