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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: bear · stock · toast · wind · date · cap · fine · ball

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. cap — a hat
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. toast — bread
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. ball — a great time
  9. bear — the animal
  10. wind — moving air
  11. cap — of ice
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. fine — all right
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. fine — high quality
  17. date — the fruit
  18. ball — a dance
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. wind — moving air
  21. bear — the animal
  22. stock — goods
  23. stock — shares
  24. cap — a lid

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