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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. pit — a hole
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. season — of the year
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. present — a gift
  13. stock — goods
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. pit — in a race
  16. present — there
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. mine — for digging
  20. season — in sport
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. stock — shares
  24. bat — the animal

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