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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. field — for sport
  3. net — in sport
  4. net — after costs
  5. stock — shares
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. pit — in a race
  8. firm — a company
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. stand — to bear
  12. firm — decided
  13. field — farmland
  14. field — a subject
  15. key — the most important part
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. net — for catching
  18. pit — a hole
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. stock — goods
  21. key — for a lock
  22. key — in music
  23. firm — steady
  24. mouse — the animal

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