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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 116 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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. mark — a grade
  4. stock — shares
  5. pound — a weight
  6. rule — a law
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. chip — to eat
  9. mark — a trace
  10. rule — government
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. ground — crushed
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. bear — the animal
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. chip — for betting
  18. stock — goods
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. ground — a position
  21. ground — the earth
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. branch — a division
  24. bear — the animal

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