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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. can — a tin
  3. can — to be able to
  4. present — the time now
  5. ball — a dance
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. stock — shares
  8. staff — employees
  9. can — a tin
  10. staff — a stick
  11. ball — a great time
  12. present — there
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. stock — goods
  15. pit — in a race
  16. capital — money
  17. capital — a city
  18. present — a gift
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. staff — employees
  21. stem — to come from
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. pit — a hole
  24. stem — of a plant

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