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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. season — of the year
  3. wax — to grow
  4. stock — shares
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. pit — in a race
  13. season — in sport
  14. saw — the tool
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. stock — goods
  17. saw — the tool
  18. pit — a hole
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. season — to add flavour

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