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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 supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. wound — an injury
  3. suit — to fit
  4. spell — magic
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. stock — shares
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. toast — bread
  11. season — of the year
  12. season — in sport
  13. wound — an injury
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. perch — the fish
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. spell — letters
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. suit — in cards
  22. suit — clothes
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. spell — a short time

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