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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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. bear — the animal
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. row — a line
  10. row — to paddle
  11. stock — shares
  12. pit — a hole
  13. pit — in a race
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. mark — a grade
  16. kid — child
  17. bear — the animal
  18. mark — a trace
  19. bulb — for light
  20. kid — to tease
  21. bulb — for light
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. stock — goods
  24. mark — to pay attention

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