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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 pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. game — a match
  7. foot — a measure
  8. toast — bread
  9. stock — goods
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. plane — a tool
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. stock — shares
  18. last — to go on
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. last — final
  24. last — finally

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