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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. spring — the season
  4. spring — of water
  5. chip — for betting
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. bear — the animal
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. present — a gift
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. mark — a trace
  13. perch — the fish
  14. present — the time now
  15. stock — goods
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. chip — to eat
  18. stock — shares
  19. mark — a grade
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. spring — a coil
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. present — there
  24. bat — the 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