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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 116 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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. stock — shares
  3. can — to be able to
  4. bear — the animal
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. fall — to drop
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. can — a tin
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. game — wild animals
  12. bear — the animal
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. fall — the season
  15. stock — goods
  16. can — a tin
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. fall — to drop
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. ruler — for measuring

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