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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. suit — to fit
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. fine — all right
  9. stock — shares
  10. date — the fruit
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. lie — to recline
  13. bat — the animal
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. stock — goods
  17. wax — to grow
  18. suit — clothes
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. suit — in cards
  24. bat — in an idiom

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