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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 rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. file — a tool
  3. stock — shares
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. file — a line of people
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. stock — goods
  14. kick — in football
  15. pit — in a race
  16. sharp — clever
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. dip — to sink
  20. bear — the animal
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. file — a document
  24. bear — the animal

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