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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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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: mate · bear · club · stick · tube · stock · rash · bay

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. rash — hasty
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. mate — a partner
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. bear — the animal
  7. tube — a container
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. club — for dancing
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. club — for golf
  12. club — a group
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. mate — a friend
  17. stock — shares
  18. tube — the underground
  19. rash — a series
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. stock — goods
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. mate — to breed
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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