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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. stock — goods
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. track — a song
  5. ball — a great time
  6. fine — all right
  7. stock — shares
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. bark — to shout
  10. fine — high quality
  11. track — to keep track
  12. game — wild animals
  13. rash — a series
  14. track — a path
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. ball — a dance
  19. game — a match
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. rash — hasty
  24. bay — a horse colour

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