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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. court — of law
  4. scale — size or range
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. scale — in music
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. stock — shares
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. can — a tin
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. season — of the year
  14. court — for sport
  15. can — a tin
  16. court — of a king
  17. season — in sport
  18. stock — goods
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. can — to be able to
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. rock — a stone

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