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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 120 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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  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 — past of 'wind'
  2. content — happy
  3. stock — goods
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. wound — an injury
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. pit — in a race
  9. content — the amount
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. stock — shares
  12. deal — to handle
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. drill — a practice
  15. drill — the tool
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. pass — a permit
  18. drill — army training
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. wound — an injury
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. pass — to succeed
  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