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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. season — of the year
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. stock — goods
  9. club — for golf
  10. club — a group
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. stock — shares
  14. season — in sport
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. saw — the tool
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. saw — the tool
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. mine — for digging

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