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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. prune — to trim
  5. bass — the fish
  6. mug — to rob
  7. track — to keep track
  8. pit — a hole
  9. stock — goods
  10. track — a song
  11. stock — shares
  12. prune — to trim
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. mug — a cup
  16. track — a path
  17. cold — an illness
  18. bass — low music
  19. pit — in a race
  20. cold — not warm
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. mug — a face

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