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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 speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. bear — the animal
  3. game — a match
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. can — a tin
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. face — part of the head
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. rash — a series
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. can — to be able to
  15. face — to point toward
  16. face — to confront
  17. rash — hasty
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. stock — goods
  21. bear — the animal
  22. game — wild animals
  23. stock — shares
  24. can — a tin

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