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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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. pitch — completely
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. bass — the fish
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. bass — low music
  9. row — to paddle
  10. wake — a trail
  11. stock — goods
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. march — the month
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. row — a line
  18. stock — shares
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. march — the month
  23. march — music
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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