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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. present — a gift
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. stock — goods
  8. stock — shares
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. rock — music
  11. spring — of water
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. hand — help
  15. spring — the season
  16. present — the time now
  17. hand — in cards
  18. rock — a stone
  19. season — of the year
  20. present — there
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. spring — a coil
  23. fork — in a road
  24. stock — a soup base

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