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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 hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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. lie — to recline
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. stock — shares
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. track — a path
  9. bank — for money
  10. track — a song
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. pitch — completely
  17. bark — to shout
  18. bank — of a river
  19. stem — to come from
  20. bank — for money
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. track — to keep track
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. stock — goods

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