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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 120 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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. kid — to tease
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. rock — a stone
  6. pit — in a race
  7. kid — child
  8. mug — a face
  9. deal — to handle
  10. mug — a cup
  11. stock — shares
  12. mug — to rob
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. rock — music
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. stock — goods
  17. pit — a hole
  18. ground — a position
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. ground — the earth
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. fork — in a road
  23. ground — crushed
  24. fork — to eat with

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