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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. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. can — a tin
  8. can — to be able to
  9. pit — in a race
  10. stock — goods
  11. pit — a hole
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. mate — to breed
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. mate — a friend
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. mate — a partner
  19. can — a tin
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. squash — to crush
  22. squash — the sport
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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