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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. content — the amount
  3. pop — to visit
  4. pop — soda
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. season — in sport
  9. cold — not warm
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. craft — boats
  13. content — happy
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. pop — music
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. stock — goods
  19. cold — an illness
  20. craft — a skill
  21. stock — shares
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. season — of the year

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