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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. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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. court — of law
  3. sharp — clever
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. bear — the animal
  10. bear — the animal
  11. stock — goods
  12. court — of a king
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. bound — tied together
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. bound — certain
  19. bound — obliged
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. court — for sport
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. stock — shares

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