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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 girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. row — to paddle
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. club — a group
  6. fall — to drop
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. club — for golf
  9. bear — the animal
  10. game — wild animals
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. fall — to drop
  13. club — for dancing
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. bear — the animal
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. stock — shares
  21. game — a match
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. fall — the season
  24. stock — goods

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