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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. rock — music
  3. rock — a stone
  4. firm — steady
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. pit — a hole
  9. band — a ring
  10. firm — a company
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. bulb — for light
  13. firm — decided
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. stock — goods
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. bulb — for light
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. stock — shares
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. pit — in a race
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. band — a music group

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