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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. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. pit — in a race
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. stock — shares
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. lean — thin
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. fine — high quality
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. pit — a hole
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. fine — all right
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. pound — a weight
  21. wake — a trail
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. lean — to bend
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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