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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. stock — shares
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. can — a tin
  8. drill — the tool
  9. stock — goods
  10. can — a tin
  11. can — to be able to
  12. drill — a practice
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. last — finally
  16. band — a music group
  17. drill — army training
  18. pass — a permit
  19. last — final
  20. band — a ring
  21. firm — steady
  22. last — to go on
  23. firm — a company
  24. band — a rubber band

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