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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. drill — a practice
  3. bear — the animal
  4. firm — steady
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. bulb — for light
  8. bore — to tire
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. stock — shares
  11. drill — army training
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. bear — the animal
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. firm — a company
  16. stock — goods
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. bulb — for light
  19. firm — decided
  20. branch — a division
  21. bore — to drill
  22. drill — the tool
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. bulb — of a plant

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