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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 little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. club — for golf
  3. stock — shares
  4. present — a gift
  5. stock — goods
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. suit — clothes
  8. bore — to tire
  9. suit — to fit
  10. bear — the animal
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. bore — to drill
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. club — a group
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. club — for dancing
  17. present — the time now
  18. suit — in cards
  19. fine — all right
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. present — there
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. fine — high quality
  24. bore — gave birth

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