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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 120 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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. mark — a grade
  6. craft — boats
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. rash — hasty
  11. pit — in a race
  12. squash — to crush
  13. craft — a skill
  14. rash — a series
  15. stock — shares
  16. cue — for pool
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. cue — a hint
  19. squash — the sport
  20. pit — a hole
  21. cue — a signal
  22. stock — goods
  23. mark — a trace
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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