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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. stock — shares
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. rush — hurry
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. mug — to rob
  9. stock — goods
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. mug — a face
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. march — the month
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. wake — a trail
  16. pit — a hole
  17. march — the month
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. march — music
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. pit — in a race
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. mug — a cup

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