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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. net — in sport
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. net — for catching
  5. net — after costs
  6. key — the most important part
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. rest — what's left
  11. season — in sport
  12. key — in music
  13. stock — shares
  14. key — for a lock
  15. stock — goods
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. wake — a trail
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. season — of the year
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. rest — what's left
  24. rest — a break

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