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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. cell — a phone
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. stock — shares
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. suit — to fit
  11. suit — in cards
  12. bound — tied together
  13. content — the amount
  14. suit — clothes
  15. bound — obliged
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. content — happy
  19. bound — certain
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. stock — goods
  24. cell — in biology

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