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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 120 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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. court — for sport
  4. lean — thin
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. lean — to bend
  7. mark — a trace
  8. court — of law
  9. mark — a grade
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. drill — army training
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. bulb — for light
  14. pound — a weight
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. stock — goods
  18. stock — shares
  19. drill — a practice
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. court — of a king
  23. drill — the tool
  24. bulb — for light

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