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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. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. deal — to handle
  3. pit — in a race
  4. hand — in cards
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. hand — help
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. pit — a hole
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. foot — a measure
  17. mine — for digging
  18. stock — shares
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. pass — a permit
  21. stand — to bear
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. stock — goods

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