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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 116 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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. bear — the animal
  3. stock — goods
  4. shower — to wash
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. race — a contest
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. bear — the animal
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. stock — shares
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. race — humankind
  19. race — the arms race
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. pitch — completely
  24. shower — rain

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