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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. stock — shares
  3. stock — goods
  4. net — in sport
  5. last — finally
  6. last — final
  7. craft — boats
  8. root — of a word
  9. pit — a hole
  10. pit — in a race
  11. last — to go on
  12. root — of a plant
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. root — the cause
  15. fall — the season
  16. net — after costs
  17. mark — a grade
  18. fall — to drop
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. fall — to drop
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. net — for catching
  24. craft — a skill

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