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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. suit — to fit
  3. season — in sport
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. stock — shares
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. saw — the tool
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. track — a song
  10. season — of the year
  11. track — a path
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. suit — in cards
  14. root — of a plant
  15. root — of a word
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. saw — the tool
  20. suit — clothes
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. stock — goods
  23. root — the cause
  24. track — to keep track

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