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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. pit — in a race
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. stock — goods
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. season — of the year
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. march — music
  12. season — in sport
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. foot — a measure
  15. mark — a trace
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. march — the month
  18. bat — the animal
  19. stock — shares
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. mark — a grade
  22. pit — a hole
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. mark — to pay attention

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