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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. rest — what's left
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. pit — in a race
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. charge — electricity
  9. stock — shares
  10. charge — a price
  11. chest — of your body
  12. chest — of your body
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. pit — a hole
  15. rest — a break
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. chest — a box
  18. stock — goods
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. charge — in control
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. foot — a measure
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. rest — what's left

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