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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 116 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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. pit — in a race
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. pass — a permit
  5. firm — steady
  6. net — after costs
  7. stock — goods
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. wound — an injury
  11. net — in sport
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. stock — shares
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. firm — a company
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. stem — to come from
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. net — for catching
  23. firm — decided
  24. pit — a hole

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