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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. content — the amount
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. mug — a cup
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. stock — goods
  8. vault — a safe
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. pit — a hole
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. bat — the animal
  13. content — happy
  14. track — a song
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. stock — shares
  17. track — a path
  18. mug — a face
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. pit — in a race
  21. track — to keep track
  22. mug — to rob
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. content — videos and posts

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