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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 116 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 supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. season — of the year
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. cap — a hat
  11. cap — a lid
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. saw — the tool
  15. band — a ring
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. band — a music group
  18. kick — in football
  19. season — in sport
  20. deal — to handle
  21. cap — of ice
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. stock — shares
  24. saw — the tool

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