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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 need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. craft — boats
  4. suit — to fit
  5. drill — the tool
  6. chest — of your body
  7. suit — clothes
  8. chest — a box
  9. pit — a hole
  10. drill — army training
  11. craft — a skill
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. pit — in a race
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. suit — in cards
  18. stock — goods
  19. chest — of your body
  20. stock — shares
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. drill — a practice
  24. deal — an agreement

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