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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. rash — a series
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. stock — goods
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. rash — hasty
  11. object — a thing
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. object — an aim
  16. bear — the animal
  17. sharp — clever
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. stock — shares
  21. object — to protest
  22. fine — all right
  23. fine — high quality
  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