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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. wound — an injury
  4. chair — a leader
  5. pit — a hole
  6. bear — the animal
  7. spring — the season
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. stock — goods
  10. deal — to handle
  11. spring — a coil
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. spring — of water
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. stock — shares
  18. perch — the fish
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. wound — an injury
  23. bear — the animal
  24. pit — in a race

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