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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. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. fall — to drop
  3. fall — the season
  4. can — to be able to
  5. roll — a cake
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. club — for dancing
  8. can — a tin
  9. club — a group
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. fall — to drop
  12. file — a line of people
  13. stock — shares
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. can — a tin
  17. club — for golf
  18. pit — in a race
  19. file — a document
  20. roll — a list
  21. stock — goods
  22. file — a tool
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. roll — on a roll

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