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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. stock — shares
  6. fine — high quality
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. net — in sport
  10. net — after costs
  11. key — for a lock
  12. stock — goods
  13. net — for catching
  14. key — the most important part
  15. tear — from crying
  16. key — in music
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. saw — the tool
  20. tear — from crying
  21. tear — to rip
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. fine — all right
  24. saw — the tool

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