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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. mine — for digging
  4. stock — shares
  5. capital — a city
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. craft — a skill
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. bat — the animal
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. stock — goods
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. craft — boats
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. capital — money
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. bat — in an idiom

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