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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. stock — shares
  4. pit — in a race
  5. bank — for money
  6. face — part of the head
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. stock — goods
  9. pit — a hole
  10. season — in sport
  11. face — to confront
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. drill — army training
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. season — of the year
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. face — to point toward
  20. drill — the tool
  21. bank — for money
  22. bank — of a river
  23. drill — a practice
  24. arm — a part of something

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