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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 124 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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. foot — a measure
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. rash — hasty
  8. rash — a series
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. field — for sport
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. field — farmland
  19. stock — shares
  20. field — a subject
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. stock — goods
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. nail — for a hammer

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