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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. pit — a hole
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. stock — goods
  6. branch — a division
  7. drill — a practice
  8. pit — in a race
  9. track — a path
  10. key — in music
  11. rock — a stone
  12. drill — army training
  13. stock — shares
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. key — the most important part
  16. key — for a lock
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. drill — the tool
  21. track — a song
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. rock — music
  24. track — to keep track

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