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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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. can — to be able to
  3. spring — of water
  4. spring — the season
  5. stock — goods
  6. bat — the animal
  7. bear — the animal
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. can — a tin
  11. can — a tin
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. bear — the animal
  14. spring — a coil
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. squash — the sport
  17. net — for catching
  18. net — in sport
  19. squash — to crush
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. net — after costs
  23. stock — shares
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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