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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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. kid — child
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. toast — bread
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. stock — goods
  13. bat — the animal
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. chair — a leader
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. stock — shares
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. kid — to tease

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