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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. court — of a king
  4. season — in sport
  5. rash — a series
  6. mate — a friend
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. stock — shares
  9. rest — what's left
  10. court — of law
  11. season — of the year
  12. rash — hasty
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. mate — to breed
  15. rest — what's left
  16. cap — of ice
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. cap — a hat
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. cap — a lid
  21. mate — a partner
  22. court — for sport
  23. rest — a break
  24. stock — goods

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