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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. stock — goods
  3. fork — in a road
  4. wind — moving air
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. degree — an amount
  10. pit — in a race
  11. pit — a hole
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. fall — to drop
  14. wind — moving air
  15. stock — shares
  16. degree — temperature
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. fall — to drop
  19. fall — the season
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. rush — hurry
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. degree — from a university
  24. rush — to hurry

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