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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. squash — to crush
  3. pit — a hole
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. rule — government
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. pop — music
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. capital — money
  10. stock — shares
  11. rule — a law
  12. stock — goods
  13. stand — to bear
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. capital — a city
  18. pop — soda
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. pop — to visit
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. squash — the 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