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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 ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. fine — high quality
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. rest — what's left
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. row — a line
  10. stock — shares
  11. stock — goods
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. net — for catching
  14. rest — a break
  15. fine — all right
  16. lie — to recline
  17. row — to paddle
  18. pit — a hole
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. rest — what's left
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. net — after costs
  23. mine — for digging
  24. pit — in a race

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