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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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. fall — to drop
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. stock — goods
  6. wound — an injury
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. season — in sport
  9. season — of the year
  10. stand — to bear
  11. stock — shares
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. fall — to drop
  14. root — the cause
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. fall — the season
  17. key — for a lock
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. root — of a word
  20. key — in music
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. root — of a plant
  23. key — the most important part
  24. coach — a trainer

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