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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. pit — a hole
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. kid — child
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. kid — to tease
  8. spell — letters
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. spell — a short time
  11. pit — in a race
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. snap — to click
  17. pass — a permit
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. stock — shares
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. stock — goods
  24. spell — magic

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