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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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. bear — the animal
  3. stock — goods
  4. scale — size or range
  5. stock — shares
  6. game — wild animals
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. bear — the animal
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. scale — in music
  12. rash — hasty
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. game — a match
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. rash — a series
  20. lie — to recline
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. pitcher — a jug

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