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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bay · date · mine · bear · stock · wake · scale · jam

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. bear — the animal
  3. mine — for digging
  4. scale — in music
  5. date — the fruit
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. wake — a trail
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. stock — shares
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. stock — goods
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. bear — the animal
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. scale — size or range
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. bay — a horse colour

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