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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. stock — goods
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. row — to paddle
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. pass — a permit
  10. bear — the animal
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. saw — the tool
  16. row — a line
  17. bass — low music
  18. bear — the animal
  19. stock — shares
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. saw — the tool
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. bass — the fish

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