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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. perch — the fish
  3. field — for sport
  4. press — newspapers
  5. bear — the animal
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. field — farmland
  8. field — a subject
  9. bear — the animal
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. stock — goods
  12. press — to push
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. press — a publisher
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. stock — shares
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. bore — to drill
  20. bore — to tire
  21. wind — moving air
  22. fork — in a road
  23. perch — for a bird
  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