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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. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. bound — certain
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. cap — a hat
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. degree — from a university
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. pitch — completely
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. ball — a dance
  14. stand — to bear
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. degree — temperature
  17. bound — tied together
  18. ball — a great time
  19. degree — an amount
  20. stock — shares
  21. cap — of ice
  22. bound — obliged
  23. cap — a lid
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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