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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. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. rest — what's left
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. mate — a partner
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. stock — shares
  8. mate — a friend
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. field — for sport
  11. rest — a break
  12. field — a subject
  13. pit — a hole
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. pit — in a race
  20. rest — what's left
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. field — farmland
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. mate — to breed

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