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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. pit — a hole
  3. chip — for betting
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. pit — in a race
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. net — after costs
  8. stock — shares
  9. dip — to sink
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. march — the month
  15. march — music
  16. chip — to eat
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. net — in sport
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. stock — goods
  21. stem — to come from
  22. net — for catching
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. chip — in a computer

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