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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. wound — an injury
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. net — for catching
  7. fork — in a road
  8. net — in sport
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. stock — shares
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. wound — an injury
  15. net — after costs
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. object — a thing
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. pit — in a race
  22. pit — a hole
  23. stock — goods
  24. object — an aim

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