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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. bulb — for light
  4. fall — the season
  5. scale — size or range
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. season — in sport
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. fall — to drop
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. bulb — for light
  14. scale — in music
  15. stock — goods
  16. stock — shares
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. fall — to drop
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. season — of the year
  23. rash — a series
  24. leaves — to go away

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