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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 ________________ market has crashed.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. season — in sport
  3. wound — an injury
  4. suit — in cards
  5. vault — a safe
  6. suit — clothes
  7. face — part of the head
  8. season — of the year
  9. present — there
  10. face — to point toward
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. wound — an injury
  13. stock — goods
  14. field — for sport
  15. field — a subject
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. field — farmland
  18. face — to confront
  19. suit — to fit
  20. present — a gift
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. present — the time now

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