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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 116 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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. stock — goods
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. stock — shares
  9. spell — a short time
  10. spell — magic
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. spell — letters
  14. pound — a weight
  15. degree — temperature
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. degree — from a university
  19. rush — hurry
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. degree — an amount
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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