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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. bear — the animal
  5. mark — a trace
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. kick — in football
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. stock — goods
  11. mark — a grade
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. date — the fruit
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. stock — shares
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. bear — the animal
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. wind — moving air
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. wind — moving air

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