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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. stock — shares
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. ground — a position
  5. ground — the earth
  6. mug — a cup
  7. stock — goods
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. cap — a hat
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. mug — a face
  13. wake — a trail
  14. mug — to rob
  15. pit — in a race
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. ground — crushed
  20. deal — to handle
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. cap — a lid
  24. cap — of ice

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