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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. fine — all right
  4. court — of law
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. court — of a king
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. rash — a series
  14. stock — goods
  15. court — for sport
  16. stock — shares
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. fine — high quality
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. rash — hasty
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. hide — to keep secret

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