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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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. rest — what's left
  4. cap — a lid
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. rest — what's left
  7. squash — the sport
  8. row — to paddle
  9. squash — to crush
  10. rest — a break
  11. suit — in cards
  12. drill — the tool
  13. cap — of ice
  14. stock — shares
  15. row — a line
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. stock — goods
  18. suit — to fit
  19. cap — a hat
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. suit — clothes
  22. drill — army training
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. drill — a practice

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