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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. face — to confront
  3. season — of the year
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. stock — shares
  7. season — in sport
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. stem — to come from
  10. face — part of the head
  11. shower — to wash
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. face — to point toward
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. pitch — completely
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. shower — rain
  22. stock — goods
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. season — to add flavour

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