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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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. court — of law
  3. court — for sport
  4. stock — shares
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. mine — for digging
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. stock — goods
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. net — for catching
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. net — after costs
  19. wake — a trail
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. court — of a king
  24. net — in sport

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