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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. pit — a hole
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. hand — in cards
  5. pit — in a race
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. fork — in a road
  8. board — to get on
  9. deal — to handle
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. hand — help
  12. board — a committee
  13. branch — a division
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. lean — thin
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. lean — to bend
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. stock — goods
  23. stock — shares
  24. board — a flat piece

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