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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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. court — of law
  4. bass — low music
  5. stock — goods
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. mug — to rob
  11. court — for sport
  12. face — to confront
  13. face — part of the head
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. mug — a cup
  16. mug — a face
  17. bass — the fish
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. face — to point toward
  21. deal — to handle
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. court — of a king
  24. pit — in a race

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