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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. face — part of the head
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. face — to point toward
  6. object — an aim
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. face — to confront
  11. object — a thing
  12. wind — moving air
  13. wind — moving air
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. stock — shares
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. stock — goods
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. bat — the animal
  21. scale — size or range
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. scale — in music
  24. object — to protest

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