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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 sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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. board — a committee
  3. chest — of your body
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. firm — a company
  7. date — the fruit
  8. chest — a box
  9. field — for sport
  10. field — a subject
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. chest — of your body
  16. mark — a grade
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. mark — a trace
  19. board — to get on
  20. stock — goods
  21. firm — decided
  22. stock — shares
  23. field — farmland
  24. firm — steady

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