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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 hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. stock — goods
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. spring — the season
  8. rock — music
  9. stand — to bear
  10. mark — a trace
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. key — the most important part
  13. mark — a grade
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. key — for a lock
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. spring — a coil
  20. rock — a stone
  21. key — in music
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. stock — shares

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