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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. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. track — to keep track
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. stem — to come from
  5. pit — a hole
  6. fork — in a road
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. track — a song
  9. deal — to handle
  10. ground — the earth
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. stand — to bear
  14. stock — shares
  15. ground — a position
  16. ground — crushed
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. track — a path
  24. pit — in a race

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