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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. stock — shares
  7. key — the most important part
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. stock — goods
  10. foot — a measure
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. key — for a lock
  14. last — finally
  15. last — to go on
  16. wake — a trail
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. mark — a grade
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. last — final
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. mark — a trace
  24. key — in music

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