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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. rest — what's left
  3. stock — goods
  4. rest — a break
  5. stock — shares
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. season — in sport
  8. court — of law
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. season — of the year
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. court — for sport
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. rest — what's left
  19. court — of a king
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. temple — a place of worship

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