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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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. tube — a container
  3. stock — shares
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. bat — the animal
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. fork — in a road
  10. branch — a division
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. bulb — for light
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bear — the animal
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. stock — goods
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. tube — the underground

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