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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. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. charge — electricity
  3. stock — shares
  4. capital — money
  5. bear — the animal
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. charge — in control
  8. capital — a city
  9. bark — to shout
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. saw — the tool
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. charge — a price
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. stock — goods
  19. foot — a measure
  20. bear — the animal
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. saw — the tool
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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