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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  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. mark — to pay attention
  2. mark — a grade
  3. tear — from crying
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. mate — a friend
  7. tear — to rip
  8. stock — goods
  9. mate — a partner
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. chip — for betting
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. chip — to eat
  16. tear — from crying
  17. track — a path
  18. track — to keep track
  19. stock — shares
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. mate — to breed
  22. track — a song
  23. bay — a horse colour
  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