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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 who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. fall — the season
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. wound — an injury
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. bark — to shout
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. pit — a hole
  10. stock — goods
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. wound — an injury
  13. club — for golf
  14. fall — to drop
  15. kid — to tease
  16. club — a group
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. pit — in a race
  20. kid — child
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. club — for dancing
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. stock — shares

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