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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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. stock — shares
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. tube — the underground
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. stock — goods
  8. current — electric
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. game — a match
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. hand — in cards
  15. hand — help
  16. fork — in a road
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. current — happening now
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. tube — a container
  23. game — wild animals
  24. current — of water

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