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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 flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. squash — the sport
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. spring — a coil
  7. firm — decided
  8. firm — a company
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. stock — shares
  12. ball — a dance
  13. rush — hurry
  14. bear — the animal
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. ball — a great time
  17. spring — of water
  18. hand — help
  19. stock — goods
  20. bear — the animal
  21. hand — in cards
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. firm — steady
  24. squash — to crush

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