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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. perch — the fish
  3. stock — goods
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. bear — the animal
  6. saw — the tool
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. land — ground
  10. bear — the animal
  11. stock — shares
  12. pop — music
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. pop — soda
  16. pop — to visit
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. land — to come down
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. saw — the tool
  21. land — a country
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. rash — a series
  24. rash — hasty

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