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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. stock — goods
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. wake — a trail
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. stock — shares
  12. cue — for pool
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. mine — for digging
  16. can — to be able to
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. cue — a signal
  19. can — a tin
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. can — a tin
  23. cue — a hint
  24. mine — belonging to me

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