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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 ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. season — in sport
  3. season — of the year
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. board — to get on
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. stock — shares
  8. cold — an illness
  9. cap — of ice
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. cap — a lid
  13. board — a committee
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. cap — a hat
  16. cold — not warm
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. stock — goods

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