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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. perch — the fish
  3. stock — shares
  4. pit — in a race
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. pit — a hole
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. mug — a cup
  12. mug — to rob
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. band — a music group
  15. mug — a face
  16. stem — to come from
  17. rest — what's left
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. stock — goods
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. rest — what's left
  22. band — a ring
  23. rest — a break
  24. stock — a soup base

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