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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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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. stock — a soup base
  3. firm — decided
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. spring — the season
  7. tube — the underground
  8. band — a music group
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. kick — in football
  11. firm — steady
  12. stock — shares
  13. spring — a coil
  14. firm — a company
  15. stock — goods
  16. root — the cause
  17. band — a ring
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. root — of a word
  22. root — of a plant
  23. spring — of water
  24. tube — a container

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