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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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. stock — goods
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. bear — the animal
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. bulb — for light
  8. game — wild animals
  9. prune — to trim
  10. mate — a partner
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. game — a match
  13. stock — shares
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. shower — to wash
  16. mate — to breed
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. mate — a friend
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. shower — rain
  22. bulb — for light
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. prune — to trim

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