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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. craft — a skill
  4. mug — to rob
  5. craft — boats
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. capital — a city
  11. rash — a series
  12. stock — goods
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. capital — money
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. stock — shares
  18. bear — the animal
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. rash — hasty
  21. mug — a cup
  22. bear — the animal
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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