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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 little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. stock — goods
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. sharp — clever
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. spell — magic
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. club — for dancing
  14. bear — the animal
  15. club — a group
  16. kick — in football
  17. spell — a short time
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. fork — in a road
  21. stock — shares
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. spell — letters
  24. club — for golf

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