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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. pit — a hole
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. date — the fruit
  7. stock — shares
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. pit — in a race
  10. face — to point toward
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. lean — thin
  13. squash — the sport
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. bore — to drill
  16. face — part of the head
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. stock — goods
  19. face — to confront
  20. bore — to tire
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. lean — to bend
  23. squash — to crush
  24. jam — in traffic

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