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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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. hand — help
  3. stock — goods
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. stock — shares
  7. fork — in a road
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. pit — a hole
  10. tear — from crying
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. scale — in music
  13. tear — from crying
  14. fine — high quality
  15. stand — to bear
  16. pit — in a race
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. hand — in cards
  19. scale — size or range
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. fine — all right
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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