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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. bear — the animal
  3. land — to come down
  4. rash — a series
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. band — a ring
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. bore — to tire
  9. stock — goods
  10. land — a country
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. rash — hasty
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. mark — a grade
  15. band — a music group
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. stock — shares
  18. mark — a trace
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. land — ground
  22. bore — to drill
  23. bear — the animal
  24. band — a rubber band

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