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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. bear — the animal
  5. press — to push
  6. game — wild animals
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. press — a publisher
  9. game — a match
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. stock — goods
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. ground — the earth
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. stock — shares
  17. press — newspapers
  18. bear — the animal
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. roll — a list
  21. roll — a cake
  22. ground — crushed
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. ground — a position

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