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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 120 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've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. stock — goods
  4. track — a song
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. pit — a hole
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. cell — a phone
  11. track — a path
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. foot — a measure
  14. spell — letters
  15. cap — a lid
  16. pit — in a race
  17. cap — of ice
  18. cell — in biology
  19. stock — shares
  20. cap — a hat
  21. spell — magic
  22. track — to keep track
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. foot — the bottom

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