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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. mug — to rob
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. march — the month
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. march — the month
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. march — music
  15. mug — a face
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. stock — shares
  18. bat — the animal
  19. stock — goods
  20. pit — in a race
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. pit — a hole
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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