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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. firm — steady
  3. firm — a company
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. game — wild animals
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. land — ground
  12. game — a match
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. stock — goods
  16. land — a country
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. can — to be able to
  20. firm — decided
  21. stock — shares
  22. can — a tin
  23. land — to come down
  24. leaves — lets stay

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