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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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. board — to get on
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. stock — shares
  5. spell — a short time
  6. key — in music
  7. march — music
  8. stock — goods
  9. march — the month
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. foot — a measure
  12. march — the month
  13. key — the most important part
  14. spell — letters
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. fall — to drop
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. board — a committee
  20. pit — a hole
  21. pit — in a race
  22. key — for a lock
  23. fall — the season
  24. fall — to drop

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