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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. fine — all right
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. track — a song
  8. stock — goods
  9. degree — temperature
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. stock — shares
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. degree — an amount
  15. fine — high quality
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. degree — from a university
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. track — to keep track
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. track — a path

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