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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. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. chip — to eat
  3. stock — shares
  4. field — farmland
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. mate — to breed
  10. chip — for betting
  11. mate — a friend
  12. mate — a partner
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. kick — in football
  15. bore — to drill
  16. stock — goods
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. bore — to tire
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. field — for sport
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. field — a subject
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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