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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 120 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: mug · fine · pound · bear · plane · stock · rush · cold

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  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. plane — an aircraft
  2. cold — an illness
  3. stock — goods
  4. plane — a tool
  5. stock — shares
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. fine — high quality
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. rush — hurry
  12. bear — the animal
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. bear — the animal
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. cold — not warm
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. pound — a weight
  19. fine — all right
  20. mug — a cup
  21. mug — a face
  22. mug — to rob
  23. rush — to hurry
  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