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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 120 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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. stock — shares
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. bear — the animal
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. cue — a signal
  8. cell — in biology
  9. cue — a hint
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. bat — the animal
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. bear — the animal
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. cue — for pool
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. dip — to sink
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. cell — a phone
  24. stock — goods

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