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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. present — a gift
  3. firm — decided
  4. file — a document
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. band — a ring
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. file — a line of people
  9. bark — to shout
  10. firm — a company
  11. file — a tool
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. stock — shares
  14. stock — goods
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. firm — steady
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. present — there
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. present — the time now
  24. band — a music group

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