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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. stock — shares
  4. can — a tin
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. net — for catching
  7. can — a tin
  8. rule — government
  9. pit — in a race
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. pit — a hole
  13. rule — a law
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. game — a match
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. game — wild animals
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. can — to be able to
  22. net — after costs
  23. stock — goods
  24. net — in sport

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