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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. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. pit — in a race
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. snap — to click
  11. spell — magic
  12. spell — a short time
  13. perch — the fish
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. pit — a hole
  17. stock — shares
  18. spell — letters
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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