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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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. shower — to wash
  3. cap — a hat
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. deal — to handle
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. stock — goods
  8. season — of the year
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. lean — to bend
  12. cap — a lid
  13. fine — high quality
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. season — in sport
  16. stock — shares
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. bass — the fish
  19. lean — thin
  20. shower — rain
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. bass — low music
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. fine — all right

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