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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. band — a ring
  3. band — a music group
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. branch — a division
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. ground — the earth
  8. ground — crushed
  9. chip — for betting
  10. stock — goods
  11. bore — to tire
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. chip — to eat
  15. firm — steady
  16. firm — decided
  17. stock — shares
  18. ground — a position
  19. firm — a company
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. bore — to drill
  24. branch — of a bank

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