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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. pit — in a race
  4. present — a gift
  5. bulb — for light
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. present — there
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. stock — goods
  10. present — the time now
  11. pit — a hole
  12. fine — all right
  13. pass — a permit
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. fine — high quality
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. bulb — for light
  19. stock — shares
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. nail — on a finger

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