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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. season — in sport
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. ball — a dance
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. stock — shares
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. stock — goods
  10. spell — letters
  11. last — final
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. mug — a face
  15. last — to go on
  16. mine — for digging
  17. mug — to rob
  18. last — finally
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. season — of the year
  21. spell — magic
  22. ball — a great time
  23. mug — a cup
  24. straw — a straw man

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