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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. march — the month
  4. pit — a hole
  5. rash — a series
  6. pit — in a race
  7. stock — goods
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. rash — hasty
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. scale — in music
  17. pitch — completely
  18. dip — to sink
  19. scale — size or range
  20. march — the month
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. march — music
  24. stock — shares

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