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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. bear — the animal
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. stock — goods
  7. wax — to grow
  8. cold — an illness
  9. toast — bread
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. present — a gift
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. cold — not warm
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. present — the time now
  19. bear — the animal
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. present — there
  24. racket — for tennis

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