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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. mark — a trace
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. stock — shares
  6. stock — goods
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. season — of the year
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. mark — a grade
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. perch — the fish
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. rash — a series
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. bear — the animal
  22. bear — the animal
  23. season — in sport
  24. rush — hurry

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