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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. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. pit — in a race
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. wind — moving air
  7. stock — goods
  8. suit — in cards
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. suit — to fit
  11. file — a document
  12. suit — clothes
  13. wind — moving air
  14. mine — for digging
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. file — a tool
  17. pit — a hole
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. pass — a permit
  22. file — a line of people
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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