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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. rest — what's left
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. object — to protest
  5. rest — a break
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. object — an aim
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. stock — goods
  10. band — a ring
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. mark — a trace
  13. scale — in music
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. mark — a grade
  19. object — a thing
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. bark — to shout
  22. rest — what's left
  23. band — a music group
  24. stock — shares

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