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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. stock — shares
  5. march — the month
  6. spring — of water
  7. stock — goods
  8. charge — in control
  9. season — in sport
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. march — the month
  12. suit — clothes
  13. spring — a coil
  14. charge — a price
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. charge — electricity
  17. spring — the season
  18. season — of the year
  19. swing — in golf
  20. suit — in cards
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. march — music
  23. suit — to fit
  24. swing — to play on

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