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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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. stock — goods
  3. game — wild animals
  4. present — the time now
  5. stock — shares
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. wound — an injury
  10. present — there
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. fall — to drop
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. fall — to drop
  19. pass — a permit
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. present — a gift
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. game — a match
  24. fall — the season

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