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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. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. stock — goods
  3. land — a country
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. can — a tin
  6. bear — the animal
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. can — to be able to
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. mate — a friend
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. chip — for betting
  15. deal — to handle
  16. stock — shares
  17. chip — to eat
  18. board — to get on
  19. mate — to breed
  20. land — to come down
  21. land — ground
  22. mate — a partner
  23. can — a tin
  24. board — a committee

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