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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. stock — goods
  3. rule — government
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. stock — shares
  7. press — to push
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. press — newspapers
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. roll — a list
  13. press — a publisher
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. roll — a cake
  16. mine — for digging
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. pit — in a race
  19. bark — to shout
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. rule — a law
  24. mine — an explosive

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