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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. bear — the animal
  3. game — wild animals
  4. bear — the animal
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. net — after costs
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. rock — a stone
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. game — a match
  14. stock — goods
  15. bulb — for light
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. bulb — for light
  18. saw — the tool
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. net — for catching
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. saw — the tool
  23. net — in sport
  24. stock — shares

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