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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. stock — goods
  3. net — in sport
  4. rash — hasty
  5. bear — the animal
  6. bear — the animal
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. stock — shares
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. drill — the tool
  12. drill — a practice
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. bound — certain
  15. net — for catching
  16. bound — obliged
  17. net — after costs
  18. drill — army training
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. rash — a series
  22. bound — tied together
  23. sharp — clever
  24. stock — a soup base

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