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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. spell — letters
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. spring — a coil
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. spring — of water
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. spell — magic
  12. spell — a short time
  13. stock — goods
  14. season — in sport
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. sharp — clever
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. foot — a measure
  22. spring — the season
  23. stock — shares
  24. season — of the year

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