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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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. stock — shares
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. snap — to click
  6. deal — to handle
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. stock — goods
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. can — a tin
  11. fine — all right
  12. fine — high quality
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. band — a ring
  16. band — a music group
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. pit — a hole
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. pit — in a race
  21. can — to be able to
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. can — a tin

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