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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. stock — goods
  4. staff — a stick
  5. staff — employees
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. fine — all right
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. bank — for money
  11. key — for a lock
  12. bank — for money
  13. key — in music
  14. staff — employees
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. stock — shares
  17. bank — of a river
  18. pit — in a race
  19. pit — a hole
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. fine — high quality
  22. key — the most important part
  23. rash — a series
  24. pitcher — a jug

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