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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  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. stock — a soup base
  2. ground — crushed
  3. pop — music
  4. march — the month
  5. pit — a hole
  6. march — the month
  7. pop — soda
  8. pop — to visit
  9. net — for catching
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. plane — a tool
  12. stock — shares
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. net — in sport
  15. march — music
  16. stock — goods
  17. ground — a position
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. net — after costs
  20. pit — in a race
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. ground — the earth
  23. jam — in traffic
  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