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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  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. pit — in a race
  2. bank — for money
  3. rest — what's left
  4. bound — obliged
  5. rest — what's left
  6. mine — for digging
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. last — finally
  9. bound — certain
  10. object — a thing
  11. stock — goods
  12. rest — a break
  13. bound — tied together
  14. stock — shares
  15. object — an aim
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. last — final
  18. bank — of a river
  19. last — to go on
  20. pit — a hole
  21. object — to protest
  22. bank — for money
  23. mine — an explosive
  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