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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. craft — boats
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. track — to keep track
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. track — a song
  9. stock — goods
  10. track — a path
  11. face — to confront
  12. cap — of ice
  13. cap — a hat
  14. rash — a series
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. rash — hasty
  17. deal — to handle
  18. craft — a skill
  19. cap — a lid
  20. face — part of the head
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. stock — shares
  23. face — to point toward
  24. deal — an agreement

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