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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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. stock — goods
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. kick — in football
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. ball — a dance
  10. ball — a great time
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. wound — an injury
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. stock — shares
  18. pit — a hole
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. wax — to grow
  22. pit — in a race
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. date — the fruit

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