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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. prune — to trim
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. prune — to trim
  5. season — in sport
  6. stock — shares
  7. swing — in golf
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. swing — music
  11. ground — the earth
  12. stock — goods
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. pit — a hole
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. season — of the year
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. swing — to play on
  22. ground — crushed
  23. toast — bread
  24. ground — a position

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