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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. object — to protest
  9. object — a thing
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. mark — a trace
  12. stock — goods
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. bear — the animal
  15. object — an aim
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. pound — a weight
  18. game — wild animals
  19. bear — the animal
  20. mine — for digging
  21. game — a match
  22. stock — shares
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. mark — to pay attention

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