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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. bass — low music
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. spell — a short time
  6. rash — hasty
  7. rash — a series
  8. charge — a price
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. charge — in control
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. bass — the fish
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. charge — electricity
  15. present — a gift
  16. spell — letters
  17. spell — magic
  18. present — there
  19. stock — goods
  20. stock — shares
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. stand — to bear
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. stand — for spectators

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