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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. bark — to shout
  4. band — a music group
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. shower — to wash
  7. stock — goods
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. shower — rain
  10. saw — the tool
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. pitch — completely
  14. stock — shares
  15. band — a ring
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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