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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. ball — a great time
  3. present — there
  4. mug — a face
  5. last — to go on
  6. last — final
  7. mug — a cup
  8. ball — a dance
  9. present — a gift
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. rash — hasty
  12. mug — to rob
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. stock — shares
  15. pit — a hole
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. stock — goods
  19. last — finally
  20. object — to protest
  21. object — a thing
  22. present — the time now
  23. object — an aim
  24. rash — a series

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