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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. suit — clothes
  3. capital — money
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. bark — to shout
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. season — in sport
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. last — final
  11. stock — shares
  12. capital — a city
  13. suit — in cards
  14. last — to go on
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. stock — goods
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. object — a thing
  20. season — of the year
  21. object — to protest
  22. last — finally
  23. object — an aim
  24. straw — a straw man

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