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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. stock — shares
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. staff — employees
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. tear — to rip
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. stock — goods
  9. pit — in a race
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. fine — all right
  12. tear — from crying
  13. pit — a hole
  14. present — the time now
  15. fine — high quality
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. staff — employees
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. tear — from crying
  22. staff — a stick
  23. wake — a trail
  24. present — a gift

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