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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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. stock — shares
  4. object — an aim
  5. chip — to eat
  6. chip — for betting
  7. capital — money
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. stock — goods
  10. mark — a trace
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. suit — in cards
  15. suit — clothes
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. mark — a grade
  18. capital — a city
  19. object — to protest
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. spell — letters
  22. suit — to fit
  23. object — a thing
  24. spell — a short time

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