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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 120 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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. rash — a series
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. hand — in cards
  6. band — a ring
  7. stock — shares
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. bear — the animal
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. rash — hasty
  13. stock — goods
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. bore — to drill
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. band — a music group
  21. hand — help
  22. perch — the fish
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. bore — to tire

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