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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 ________________ market has crashed.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. bear — the animal
  4. bound — obliged
  5. staff — employees
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. staff — a stick
  8. bound — certain
  9. prune — to trim
  10. staff — employees
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. rash — hasty
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. bear — the animal
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. bound — tied together
  18. prune — to trim
  19. rash — a series
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. stock — goods
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. bear — to put up with

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