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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. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. face — part of the head
  3. staff — employees
  4. staff — a stick
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. prune — to trim
  7. deal — to handle
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. board — to get on
  10. prune — to trim
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. pit — a hole
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. board — a committee
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. wake — a trail
  17. stock — shares
  18. face — to point toward
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. face — to confront
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. pit — in a race
  24. staff — employees

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