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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 ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. saw — the tool
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. bark — to shout
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. ground — a position
  8. ground — crushed
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. stand — to bear
  13. board — a committee
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. saw — the tool
  16. board — to get on
  17. cold — not warm
  18. stock — shares
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. stock — goods
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. cold — an illness

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