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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 124 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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. capital — money
  3. stock — shares
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. pit — in a race
  10. capital — a city
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. board — to get on
  13. stock — goods
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. lean — thin
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. cell — in biology
  19. foot — a measure
  20. board — a committee
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. cell — a phone
  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