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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · stock · present · saw · bear · game · arm · shower

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. present — the time now
  5. shower — rain
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. present — a gift
  9. game — wild animals
  10. bear — the animal
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. present — there
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. stock — shares
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. stock — goods
  18. shower — to wash
  19. bear — the animal
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. game — a match
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. saw — the tool
  24. saw — the tool

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