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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. pit — in a race
  4. stock — goods
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. root — the cause
  7. court — of a king
  8. net — in sport
  9. stock — shares
  10. court — for sport
  11. present — the time now
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. net — for catching
  14. present — there
  15. present — a gift
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. root — of a plant
  18. root — of a word
  19. chip — to eat
  20. net — after costs
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. court — of law
  23. chip — for betting
  24. pit — a hole

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