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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. track — to keep track
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. land — a country
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. bear — the animal
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. track — a path
  9. stock — shares
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. branch — a division
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. fall — to drop
  15. fall — to drop
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. land — to come down
  18. fall — the season
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. land — ground
  21. bear — the animal
  22. stock — goods
  23. track — a song
  24. racket — for tennis

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