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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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. pass — a permit
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. mate — a partner
  11. mate — a friend
  12. stock — shares
  13. season — in sport
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. season — of the year
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. bark — to shout
  18. mate — to breed
  19. stock — goods
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. pit — in a race
  22. pit — a hole
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. rash — hasty

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