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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. rash — hasty
  4. lean — to bend
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. stock — shares
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. rash — a series
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. key — in music
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. stock — goods
  13. key — the most important part
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. dip — to sink
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. key — for a lock
  18. lean — thin
  19. pit — in a race
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. kick — in football

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