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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. pit — a hole
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. row — to paddle
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. mug — a cup
  11. mug — to rob
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. pit — in a race
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. bear — the animal
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. bear — the animal
  20. stock — shares
  21. row — a line
  22. bat — the animal
  23. stock — goods
  24. mug — a face

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