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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. kick — in football
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. pound — a weight
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. wake — a trail
  11. content — the amount
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. pit — a hole
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. race — the arms race
  16. pit — in a race
  17. content — happy
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. stock — shares
  21. stock — goods
  22. race — humankind
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. race — a contest

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