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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. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. pit — a hole
  4. can — to be able to
  5. ground — the earth
  6. face — part of the head
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. track — a path
  9. track — a song
  10. face — to confront
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. ground — a position
  13. ground — crushed
  14. court — of a king
  15. court — for sport
  16. face — to point toward
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. court — of law
  19. can — a tin
  20. stock — shares
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. track — to keep track
  23. pit — in a race
  24. can — a tin

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