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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. present — the time now
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. present — a gift
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. present — there
  9. content — the amount
  10. stock — goods
  11. band — a music group
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. rash — a series
  15. content — happy
  16. pass — a permit
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. rash — hasty
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. band — a ring
  23. stock — shares
  24. rash — on the skin

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