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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 party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. stock — goods
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. face — part of the head
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. roll — a cake
  10. mark — a trace
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. stock — shares
  13. rash — hasty
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. mark — a grade
  16. roll — a list
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. face — to confront
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. face — to point toward
  24. racket — for tennis

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