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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. cap — a hat
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. stock — goods
  5. cue — a hint
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. cap — of ice
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. bat — the animal
  11. saw — the tool
  12. saw — the tool
  13. stock — shares
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. pit — in a race
  16. rock — music
  17. cue — for pool
  18. cap — a lid
  19. pit — a hole
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. cue — a signal
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. rock — a stone

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