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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. stock — shares
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. season — in sport
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. stock — goods
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. mark — a grade
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. band — a ring
  15. fork — in a road
  16. season — of the year
  17. band — a music group
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. wax — to grow
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. mark — a trace
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. fork — a garden 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