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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 116 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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. last — finally
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. bank — for money
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. staff — employees
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. last — final
  9. field — for sport
  10. pit — a hole
  11. stock — shares
  12. staff — a stick
  13. cap — of ice
  14. bank — for money
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. bank — of a river
  17. stock — goods
  18. cap — a hat
  19. staff — employees
  20. field — farmland
  21. last — to go on
  22. pit — in a race
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. field — a subject

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