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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. stock — shares
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. chest — of your body
  8. mark — a trace
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. stock — goods
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. spell — magic
  13. field — a subject
  14. spell — a short time
  15. field — farmland
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. field — for sport
  19. spell — letters
  20. mark — a grade
  21. chest — a box
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. chest — of your body

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