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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. stock — shares
  3. ball — a dance
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. pit — in a race
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. pit — a hole
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. face — part of the head
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. capital — money
  14. face — to point toward
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. capital — a city
  17. last — finally
  18. ball — a great time
  19. last — to go on
  20. face — to confront
  21. last — final
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. stock — goods

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