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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. object — to protest
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. stock — goods
  5. stock — shares
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. pit — in a race
  9. object — a thing
  10. squash — the sport
  11. saw — the tool
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. saw — the tool
  15. content — happy
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. squash — to crush
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. content — the amount
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. pit — a hole
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. content — videos and posts

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