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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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. squash — to crush
  3. stock — goods
  4. wake — a trail
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. land — to come down
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. bark — to shout
  10. land — ground
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. stock — shares
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. squash — the sport
  16. date — the fruit
  17. land — a country
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. bark — of a tree

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