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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. stock — goods
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. content — happy
  5. sharp — clever
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. rest — what's left
  10. rest — what's left
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. bat — the animal
  17. rest — a break
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. stock — shares
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. content — the amount
  22. pit — in a race
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. leaves — of a tree

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