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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. fine — all right
  3. season — in sport
  4. fine — high quality
  5. season — of the year
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. stock — goods
  11. squash — to crush
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. firm — a company
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. squash — the sport
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. firm — decided
  21. stock — shares
  22. foot — a measure
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. firm — steady

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