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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 speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. season — in sport
  5. spell — letters
  6. spell — magic
  7. roll — a list
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. stock — shares
  14. stock — goods
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. roll — a cake
  17. mate — to breed
  18. spell — a short time
  19. season — of the year
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. mate — a friend
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. pitch — completely
  24. mate — a partner

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