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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 120 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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. charge — electricity
  3. pit — in a race
  4. stock — goods
  5. tear — from crying
  6. tube — the underground
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. stock — shares
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. fine — high quality
  11. tear — from crying
  12. pit — a hole
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. tear — to rip
  15. charge — a price
  16. lie — to recline
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. charge — in control
  21. tube — a container
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. fine — all right

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