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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. stock — goods
  3. object — an aim
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. wound — an injury
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. pit — in a race
  9. object — a thing
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. fork — in a road
  13. wound — an injury
  14. object — to protest
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. court — for sport
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. court — of a king
  20. court — of law
  21. rule — government
  22. stock — shares
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. rule — a law

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