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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. fine — high quality
  5. present — the time now
  6. wound — an injury
  7. pit — a hole
  8. stock — goods
  9. pit — in a race
  10. stock — shares
  11. rock — music
  12. wound — an injury
  13. fine — all right
  14. rock — a stone
  15. present — there
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. present — a gift
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. club — for golf
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. club — a group
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. coach — a trainer

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