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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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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. stock — a soup base
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. season — in sport
  5. pit — a hole
  6. race — the arms race
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. stock — shares
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. stock — goods
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. pit — in a race
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. race — a contest
  21. squash — the sport
  22. season — of the year
  23. squash — to crush
  24. race — humankind

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