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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. object — to protest
  4. stock — goods
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. pit — in a race
  7. snap — to click
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. spring — the season
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. spring — a coil
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. object — an aim
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. cell — a phone
  18. object — a thing
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. spring — of water
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. cell — in biology
  23. stock — shares
  24. safe — a strongbox

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