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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. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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. stock — shares
  3. pit — a hole
  4. wind — moving air
  5. bank — for money
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. bank — of a river
  8. bank — for money
  9. land — a country
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. land — to come down
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. pit — in a race
  14. wind — moving air
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. stock — goods
  19. land — ground
  20. bark — to shout
  21. wax — to grow
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. bark — of a tree

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