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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 supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. stock — goods
  3. mate — a partner
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. can — a tin
  6. can — to be able to
  7. pound — a weight
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. mate — a friend
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. bear — the animal
  12. mate — to breed
  13. can — a tin
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. fine — high quality
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. stock — shares
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. fine — all right
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. bear — to put up with

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