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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. ground — crushed
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. stock — shares
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. ball — a great time
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. degree — an amount
  14. degree — temperature
  15. ball — a dance
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. ground — the earth
  18. stock — goods
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. ground — a position
  21. degree — from a university
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. fork — in a road

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