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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: racket · kid · saw · mug · rule · spell · stock · bear

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. spell — magic
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. bear — the animal
  5. mug — a cup
  6. spell — a short time
  7. spell — letters
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. kid — child
  10. rule — a law
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. stock — shares
  13. mug — to rob
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. saw — the tool
  18. stock — goods
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. saw — the tool
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. kid — to tease
  23. mug — a face
  24. rule — government

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