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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. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. firm — a company
  3. stock — goods
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. shower — rain
  9. content — happy
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. shower — to wash
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. firm — steady
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. content — the amount
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. firm — decided
  23. pass — a permit
  24. fork — in a road

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