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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. fine — high quality
  5. pound — a weight
  6. stock — goods
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. stock — shares
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. present — a gift
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. present — the time now
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. bat — the animal
  19. club — for golf
  20. fine — all right
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. club — a group
  24. present — there

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