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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 120 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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. cap — a hat
  3. object — a thing
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. club — for dancing
  6. lean — to bend
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. club — for golf
  9. cap — of ice
  10. object — an aim
  11. band — a music group
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. object — to protest
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. stock — goods
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. lean — thin
  19. band — a ring
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. stock — shares
  23. cap — a lid
  24. club — a group

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