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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. sharp — clever
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. mark — a grade
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. shower — to wash
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. stock — shares
  19. shower — rain
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. stock — goods
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. mark — a trace

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