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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. rash — a series
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. rash — hasty
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. game — a match
  11. bark — to shout
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. chip — for betting
  17. chip — to eat
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. stock — shares
  22. stock — goods
  23. game — wild animals
  24. stock — a soup base

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