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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. row — to paddle
  5. stock — goods
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. bear — the animal
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. mug — a face
  11. mug — to rob
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. bear — the animal
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. mug — a cup
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. foot — a measure
  19. stock — shares
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. row — a line
  24. foot — the bottom

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