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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 met the new head ________________?
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. stand — to bear
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. chip — for betting
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. stock — goods
  12. branch — a division
  13. pit — in a race
  14. stock — shares
  15. chip — to eat
  16. pass — a permit
  17. shower — rain
  18. shower — to wash
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. pit — a hole
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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