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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 120 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 smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. wind — moving air
  4. foot — a measure
  5. wind — moving air
  6. stock — goods
  7. current — of water
  8. bear — the animal
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. saw — the tool
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. current — happening now
  13. stock — shares
  14. content — happy
  15. stand — to bear
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. content — the amount
  21. bear — the animal
  22. saw — the tool
  23. current — electric
  24. foot — the bottom

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