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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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Word bank
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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. season — of the year
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. fine — high quality
  5. rock — music
  6. content — happy
  7. kick — in football
  8. present — there
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. craft — a skill
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. present — the time now
  16. fine — all right
  17. craft — boats
  18. content — the amount
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. stand — to bear
  23. present — a gift
  24. rock — a stone

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