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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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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. chair — to sit on
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. stock — shares
  6. track — a path
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. bear — the animal
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. deal — to handle
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. chair — a leader
  16. dip — to sink
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. track — a song
  22. track — to keep track
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. pitcher — a jug

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