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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. bank — for money
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. rest — a break
  5. bank — for money
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. rest — what's left
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. pitch — completely
  10. suit — clothes
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. cold — not warm
  13. suit — to fit
  14. bank — of a river
  15. stock — shares
  16. rest — what's left
  17. pit — in a race
  18. suit — in cards
  19. stock — goods
  20. pit — a hole
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. cold — an illness

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