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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. key — for a lock
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. fine — high quality
  5. wake — a trail
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. key — in music
  9. cap — of ice
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. fine — all right
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. cap — a lid
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. stock — goods
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. key — the most important part
  20. stock — shares
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. cap — a hat
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. stock — a soup base

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