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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. kick — in football
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. pit — a hole
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. stock — shares
  7. wake — a trail
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. wound — an injury
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. wound — an injury
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. stand — to bear
  20. chip — for betting
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. pit — in a race
  24. chip — to eat

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