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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. stock — goods
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. perch — the fish
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. bear — the animal
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. rash — hasty
  9. rash — a series
  10. bank — for money
  11. race — a contest
  12. bank — for money
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. ball — a great time
  15. stock — shares
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. race — the arms race
  18. ball — a dance
  19. bear — the animal
  20. bank — of a river
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. wax — to grow
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. race — humankind

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