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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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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. cap — a hat
  3. pit — a hole
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. mark — a trace
  7. saw — the tool
  8. stock — shares
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. mark — a grade
  11. firm — decided
  12. firm — steady
  13. cap — of ice
  14. cap — a lid
  15. firm — a company
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. stock — goods
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. pit — in a race
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. saw — the tool
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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