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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. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. stock — goods
  3. lean — thin
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. cap — a lid
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. pit — a hole
  9. lean — to bend
  10. content — the amount
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. cap — a hat
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. stock — shares
  16. stand — to bear
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. content — happy
  19. race — a contest
  20. race — humankind
  21. cap — of ice
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. pit — in a race
  24. race — the arms race

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