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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 ________________ market has crashed.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. rush — hurry
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. bear — the animal
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. plane — a tool
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. fine — all right
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. deal — to handle
  13. fine — high quality
  14. stock — goods
  15. kick — in football
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. bear — the animal
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. stock — a soup base

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