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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. craft — boats
  5. pit — a hole
  6. field — a subject
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. stock — goods
  12. pit — in a race
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. field — farmland
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. pitch — completely
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. field — for sport
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. stock — shares
  22. craft — a skill
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. lash — an eyelash

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