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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 120 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 supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. pit — in a race
  3. suit — clothes
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. suit — to fit
  6. stock — shares
  7. cold — an illness
  8. suit — in cards
  9. branch — a division
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. rash — a series
  12. last — to go on
  13. last — finally
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. last — final
  16. pit — a hole
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. pass — a permit
  20. rash — hasty
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. cold — not warm

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