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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. mug — to rob
  3. stand — to bear
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. clip — to cut
  8. game — a match
  9. clip — a video
  10. stock — goods
  11. tube — a container
  12. present — a gift
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. stock — shares
  16. game — wild animals
  17. clip — for paper
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. mug — a face
  20. present — there
  21. tube — the underground
  22. present — the time now
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. mug — a cup

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