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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. stock — shares
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. season — of the year
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. season — in sport
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. branch — a division
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. rock — a stone
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. stock — goods
  20. rock — music
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. stand — to bear
  24. season — to add flavour

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