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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 120 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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. mug — a face
  3. present — the time now
  4. last — finally
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. pass — a permit
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. fall — the season
  11. ball — a dance
  12. fall — to drop
  13. last — to go on
  14. stock — goods
  15. fall — to drop
  16. present — a gift
  17. pit — in a race
  18. stock — shares
  19. ball — a great time
  20. mug — to rob
  21. present — there
  22. mug — a cup
  23. last — final
  24. pit — a hole

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