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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. prune — to trim
  3. drill — army training
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. stock — goods
  8. current — happening now
  9. drill — a practice
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. tear — to rip
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. stock — shares
  14. prune — to trim
  15. pit — a hole
  16. sharp — clever
  17. tear — from crying
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. drill — the tool
  20. current — electric
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. tear — from crying
  24. current — of water

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