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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. mug — a face
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. scale — in music
  7. mug — a cup
  8. scale — size or range
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. drill — a practice
  11. bark — to shout
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. stock — shares
  15. mug — to rob
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. drill — army training
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. hand — help
  20. stock — goods
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. drill — the tool
  24. hand — in cards

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