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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 supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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. stock — goods
  5. stock — shares
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. bass — the fish
  9. track — a song
  10. track — a path
  11. stand — to bear
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. track — to keep track
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. branch — a division
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. bass — low music
  24. pit — in a race

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