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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. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. stock — shares
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. wake — a trail
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. last — final
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. bat — the animal
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. last — finally
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. deal — to handle
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. last — to go on
  24. leaves — of a tree

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