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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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. march — the month
  3. fine — high quality
  4. stock — shares
  5. ground — the earth
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. fine — all right
  10. march — music
  11. tube — a container
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. stock — goods
  14. plane — a tool
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. ground — a position
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. tube — the underground
  23. march — the month
  24. ground — crushed

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