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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 ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. ground — a position
  4. pit — in a race
  5. cell — a phone
  6. ground — the earth
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. rest — what's left
  9. ground — crushed
  10. bore — to drill
  11. chip — to eat
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. pit — a hole
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. stock — goods
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. cell — in biology
  20. stock — shares
  21. chip — for betting
  22. rest — a break
  23. bore — to tire
  24. chip — in a computer

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