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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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. spell — letters
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. spell — a short time
  5. firm — a company
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. net — in sport
  8. stock — goods
  9. object — an aim
  10. net — after costs
  11. stock — shares
  12. rash — a series
  13. pit — a hole
  14. rash — hasty
  15. pop — music
  16. pop — soda
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. net — for catching
  19. object — to protest
  20. pop — to visit
  21. object — a thing
  22. pit — in a race
  23. firm — decided
  24. firm — steady

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