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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 116 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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. pit — in a race
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. can — a tin
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. stock — shares
  8. can — a tin
  9. face — to point toward
  10. dip — to sink
  11. season — of the year
  12. spell — magic
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. stock — goods
  15. season — in sport
  16. spell — a short time
  17. spell — letters
  18. face — to confront
  19. pit — a hole
  20. face — part of the head
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. kick — in football
  24. dip — to dunk

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