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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. bear — the animal
  3. pit — in a race
  4. cell — in biology
  5. pit — a hole
  6. race — the arms race
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. stock — shares
  9. staff — employees
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. stock — goods
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. mine — for digging
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. staff — employees
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. cell — a phone
  20. race — humankind
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. bear — the animal
  23. race — a contest
  24. staff — a stick

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