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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: stock · present · bear · cold · band · deal · dip · suit

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. stock — shares
  4. cold — an illness
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. present — a gift
  9. bear — the animal
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. present — there
  12. band — a ring
  13. deal — to handle
  14. stock — goods
  15. suit — in cards
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. present — the time now
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. cold — not warm
  20. dip — to sink
  21. band — a music group
  22. suit — to fit
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. suit — clothes

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