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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. stock — shares
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. shower — rain
  7. shower — to wash
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. degree — from a university
  10. stock — goods
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. spell — magic
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. pit — a hole
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. spell — letters
  20. degree — an amount
  21. degree — temperature
  22. rash — a series
  23. spell — a short time
  24. rash — hasty

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