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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. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. stock — goods
  3. shower — rain
  4. bear — the animal
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. rash — hasty
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. key — for a lock
  10. shower — to wash
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. bear — the animal
  13. saw — the tool
  14. saw — the tool
  15. pit — in a race
  16. rash — a series
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. key — in music
  19. key — the most important part
  20. pit — a hole
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. calf — a young animal

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