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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. pit — in a race
  3. net — in sport
  4. club — for dancing
  5. row — to paddle
  6. present — a gift
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. net — for catching
  10. toast — bread
  11. pit — a hole
  12. club — a group
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. stock — shares
  15. stock — goods
  16. club — for golf
  17. present — there
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. net — after costs
  20. mark — a grade
  21. present — the time now
  22. mark — a trace
  23. row — a line
  24. stock — a soup base

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