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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. track — a path
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. cap — a lid
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. pit — a hole
  8. track — to keep track
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. date — the fruit
  11. pit — in a race
  12. key — the most important part
  13. cap — of ice
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. key — for a lock
  16. key — in music
  17. stock — shares
  18. snap — to click
  19. stock — goods
  20. cap — a hat
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. track — a song
  24. date — on the calendar

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