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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. squash — to crush
  3. land — to come down
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. fall — the season
  6. pit — a hole
  7. net — in sport
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. mark — a grade
  10. net — for catching
  11. fall — to drop
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. land — a country
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. squash — the sport
  16. fall — to drop
  17. stock — shares
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. stock — goods
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. land — ground
  23. mark — a trace
  24. net — after costs

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