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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. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. bear — the animal
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. lean — thin
  6. craft — boats
  7. key — the most important part
  8. stock — goods
  9. club — a group
  10. key — in music
  11. lean — to bend
  12. degree — from a university
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. club — for dancing
  16. key — for a lock
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. degree — temperature
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. craft — a skill
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. bear — the animal
  23. club — for golf
  24. degree — an amount

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