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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 ________________ market has crashed.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. stock — shares
  3. track — to keep track
  4. pit — a hole
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. pop — to visit
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. pit — in a race
  10. track — a song
  11. pop — music
  12. stock — goods
  13. pop — soda
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. kid — child
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. deal — to handle
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. chair — a leader
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. track — a path
  24. kid — to tease

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