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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. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. The water is too ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. cold — not warm
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. pound — a weight
  5. stock — shares
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. perch — the fish
  8. stock — goods
  9. staff — employees
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. staff — employees
  15. staff — a stick
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. land — ground
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. land — a country
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. stand — to bear
  24. land — to come down

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