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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. suit — clothes
  3. stock — shares
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. race — the arms race
  6. suit — to fit
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. face — to confront
  9. stock — goods
  10. present — there
  11. race — humankind
  12. face — part of the head
  13. pit — a hole
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. present — a gift
  16. race — a contest
  17. row — to paddle
  18. pit — in a race
  19. row — a line
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. deal — to handle
  22. face — to point toward
  23. suit — in cards
  24. present — the time now

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