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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. pass — a permit
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. wound — an injury
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. wound — an injury
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. dip — to sink
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. stock — shares
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. lie — to recline
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. stock — goods

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