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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 124 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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. land — ground
  3. chip — to eat
  4. bound — obliged
  5. pit — a hole
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. bound — certain
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. stock — shares
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. bear — the animal
  13. land — to come down
  14. shower — to wash
  15. chip — for betting
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. stock — goods
  19. bear — the animal
  20. bound — tied together
  21. land — a country
  22. shower — rain
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. pit — in a race

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