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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 116 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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. rash — a series
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. band — a ring
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. band — a music group
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. cue — a signal
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. pit — in a race
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. rash — hasty
  18. season — in sport
  19. cue — for pool
  20. stock — goods
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. season — of the year
  23. stock — shares
  24. cue — a hint

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