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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. file — a document
  3. rash — a series
  4. wound — an injury
  5. club — for dancing
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. mate — a friend
  9. mate — to breed
  10. club — a group
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. court — of law
  13. club — for golf
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. court — for sport
  17. rash — hasty
  18. stock — goods
  19. mate — a partner
  20. file — a tool
  21. wound — an injury
  22. file — a line of people
  23. court — of a king
  24. stock — shares

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