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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 124 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 do you think of the new ________________?
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. stock — goods
  3. swing — music
  4. ground — the earth
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. perch — the fish
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. swing — to play on
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. fine — all right
  13. ground — a position
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. dip — to sink
  18. fine — high quality
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. stock — shares
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. ground — crushed
  24. swing — in golf

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