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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 120 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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. scale — size or range
  3. stand — to bear
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. pit — in a race
  7. rush — hurry
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. stock — shares
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. kick — in football
  17. fall — to drop
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. fall — to drop
  20. pit — a hole
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. stock — goods
  23. fall — the season
  24. scale — in music

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