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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. mark — a grade
  3. bear — the animal
  4. mark — a trace
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. race — a contest
  8. rush — hurry
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. fine — all right
  12. bear — the animal
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. bound — certain
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. bound — obliged
  17. fork — in a road
  18. fine — high quality
  19. stock — goods
  20. stock — shares
  21. race — the arms race
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. bound — tied together
  24. race — humankind

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