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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. land — to come down
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. bulb — for light
  7. bulb — for light
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. ball — a great time
  10. stock — goods
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. season — in sport
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. ball — a dance
  18. land — a country
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. land — ground
  21. bark — to shout
  22. season — of the year
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. stock — shares

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