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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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. stock — goods
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. chip — for betting
  5. lean — thin
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. rest — a break
  8. rest — what's left
  9. scale — in music
  10. scale — size or range
  11. prune — to trim
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. rest — what's left
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. land — a country
  16. land — ground
  17. prune — to trim
  18. stock — shares
  19. chip — to eat
  20. land — to come down
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. lean — to bend

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