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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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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. season — of the year
  3. stock — goods
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. charge — in control
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. scale — size or range
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. bark — to shout
  12. charge — electricity
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. charge — a price
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. season — in sport
  18. scale — in music
  19. stock — shares
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. leaves — 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