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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. pit — a hole
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. face — to confront
  6. face — part of the head
  7. file — a line of people
  8. file — a tool
  9. face — to point toward
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. stock — goods
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. pit — in a race
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. lean — thin
  18. pitch — completely
  19. craft — a skill
  20. craft — boats
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. stock — shares
  23. file — a document
  24. lean — to bend

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