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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. pit — in a race
  3. fine — all right
  4. pit — a hole
  5. foot — a measure
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. wind — moving air
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. pass — a permit
  12. wind — moving air
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. stock — goods
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. game — wild animals
  19. stock — shares
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. fine — high quality
  23. game — a match
  24. stock — a soup base

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