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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. fall — to drop
  4. drill — army training
  5. pit — in a race
  6. fall — the season
  7. drill — the tool
  8. mark — a trace
  9. bass — low music
  10. stock — shares
  11. bass — the fish
  12. mark — a grade
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. stock — goods
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. mine — for digging
  18. wax — to grow
  19. fall — to drop
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. pit — a hole
  23. drill — a practice
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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