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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. staff — employees
  3. stock — shares
  4. stem — to come from
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. pass — a permit
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. rest — what's left
  9. sharp — clever
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. staff — employees
  12. rest — a break
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. pit — a hole
  15. plane — a tool
  16. rest — what's left
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. pit — in a race
  20. staff — a stick
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. stock — goods
  24. sharp — exactly

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