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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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. band — a music group
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. rush — hurry
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. stock — goods
  11. present — a gift
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. present — there
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. pit — a hole
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. stock — shares
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. pit — in a race
  22. pass — a permit
  23. band — a ring
  24. present — the time now

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