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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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. bear — the animal
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. track — a path
  6. staff — employees
  7. stock — goods
  8. track — to keep track
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. bear — the animal
  13. staff — a stick
  14. track — a song
  15. stock — shares
  16. kick — in football
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. hand — in cards
  19. pound — a weight
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. staff — employees
  24. hand — help

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