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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. suit — to fit
  4. pitch — completely
  5. march — the month
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. rock — music
  9. march — the month
  10. stock — goods
  11. net — after costs
  12. suit — in cards
  13. rock — a stone
  14. net — for catching
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. stock — shares
  17. net — in sport
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. stem — to come from
  21. march — music
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. suit — clothes

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