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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. pass — a permit
  3. current — electric
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. current — of water
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. cold — an illness
  9. object — to protest
  10. pit — a hole
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. stock — goods
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. current — happening now
  15. stock — shares
  16. object — a thing
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. object — an aim
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. sharp — clever
  24. cold — not warm

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