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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 124 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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. stock — shares
  3. stock — goods
  4. pit — a hole
  5. board — a committee
  6. rash — a series
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. snap — to click
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. cold — not warm
  14. board — to get on
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. ball — a dance
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. ball — a great time
  20. cold — an illness
  21. rash — hasty
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. trunk — of a car

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