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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're almost out of ________________.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  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. pop — soda
  2. hand — in cards
  3. stock — shares
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. pop — to visit
  6. saw — the tool
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. pop — music
  9. saw — the tool
  10. mug — a face
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. pit — a hole
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. mark — a grade
  15. hand — help
  16. mug — to rob
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. mug — a cup
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. stock — goods
  23. mark — a trace
  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