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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 speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. mate — a friend
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. vault — a safe
  5. craft — boats
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. stock — goods
  11. mate — a partner
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. mate — to breed
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. stock — shares
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. chair — a leader
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. pitch — completely
  24. craft — a skill

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