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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 who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. chest — of your body
  4. staff — a stick
  5. staff — employees
  6. stock — shares
  7. deal — to handle
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. pit — in a race
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. staff — employees
  15. stock — goods
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. fall — to drop
  18. chest — a box
  19. pit — a hole
  20. chest — of your body
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. fall — the season
  24. pass — a permit

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