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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 116 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 mare is ________________ in color.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. chip — for betting
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. bear — the animal
  6. bear — the animal
  7. sharp — clever
  8. field — farmland
  9. face — to confront
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. rock — a stone
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. face — to point toward
  16. stock — goods
  17. rock — music
  18. face — part of the head
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. field — for sport
  22. stock — shares
  23. field — a subject
  24. chip — to eat

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