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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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. pit — a hole
  5. wound — an injury
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. ball — a dance
  9. mate — a partner
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. ball — a great time
  13. wound — an injury
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. mate — a friend
  16. stock — goods
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. mate — to breed
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. pit — in a race
  21. stock — shares
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. stem — to come from
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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