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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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. race — a contest
  4. pitch — completely
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. race — humankind
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. pit — a hole
  9. row — a line
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. race — the arms race
  14. kick — in football
  15. hand — in cards
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. stock — shares
  21. stock — goods
  22. hand — help
  23. pit — in a race
  24. row — a quarrel

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