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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 116 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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. field — farmland
  4. stock — goods
  5. can — a tin
  6. land — a country
  7. firm — steady
  8. land — ground
  9. can — a tin
  10. firm — decided
  11. field — a subject
  12. stock — shares
  13. can — to be able to
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. land — to come down
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. field — for sport
  19. bear — the animal
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. firm — a company
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. bear — the animal

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