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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: bear · stock · mouse · tear · pit · firm · wound · dip

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. tear — from crying
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. tear — from crying
  9. firm — a company
  10. wound — an injury
  11. stock — goods
  12. firm — steady
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. dip — to sink
  15. pit — a hole
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. bear — the animal
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. bear — the animal
  20. stock — shares
  21. pit — in a race
  22. firm — decided
  23. tear — to rip
  24. bear — to put up with

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