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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. net — in sport
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. stock — shares
  5. bore — to drill
  6. bore — to tire
  7. capital — money
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. net — after costs
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. net — for catching
  12. march — music
  13. pit — in a race
  14. fall — to drop
  15. march — the month
  16. capital — a city
  17. stock — goods
  18. fall — the season
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. snap — to click
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. fall — to drop
  24. pit — a hole

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