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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. hand — help
  3. suit — in cards
  4. stock — shares
  5. pit — in a race
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. suit — clothes
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. cap — of ice
  11. stock — goods
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. wind — moving air
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. cap — a lid
  16. wind — moving air
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. suit — to fit
  19. mark — a grade
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. pit — a hole
  22. cap — a hat
  23. hand — in cards
  24. mark — a trace

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