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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. stock — shares
  4. track — to keep track
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. track — a path
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. stock — goods
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. charge — electricity
  13. charge — a price
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. season — of the year
  17. fine — high quality
  18. fine — all right
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. charge — in control
  23. track — a song
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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