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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. scale — size or range
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. rule — government
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. ground — crushed
  9. ground — the earth
  10. present — the time now
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. game — wild animals
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. present — a gift
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. stock — shares
  19. scale — in music
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. rule — a law
  22. stock — goods
  23. game — a match
  24. ground — a position

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