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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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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. saw — the tool
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. bank — for money
  5. bank — for money
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. cue — a signal
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. race — a contest
  10. stock — shares
  11. saw — the tool
  12. cue — a hint
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. bark — to shout
  16. cue — for pool
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. stock — goods
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. bank — of a river
  23. race — the arms race
  24. race — humankind

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