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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. ground — crushed
  4. stock — shares
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. date — the fruit
  8. stock — goods
  9. ground — the earth
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. ground — a position
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. wax — to grow
  19. bear — the animal
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. prune — to trim
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. prune — to trim
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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