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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. press — a publisher
  3. game — a match
  4. wound — an injury
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. game — wild animals
  7. wound — an injury
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. track — to keep track
  10. stock — shares
  11. bear — the animal
  12. press — newspapers
  13. bear — the animal
  14. stock — goods
  15. press — to push
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. track — a song
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. track — a path
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. stand — to bear
  24. bear — to put up with

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