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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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. pit — in a race
  3. stock — goods
  4. cue — a hint
  5. cue — for pool
  6. present — the time now
  7. track — a path
  8. track — to keep track
  9. present — a gift
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. cue — a signal
  12. lean — thin
  13. stock — shares
  14. pit — a hole
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. snap — to click
  20. present — there
  21. track — a song
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. lean — to bend

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