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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 120 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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. bound — certain
  3. season — in sport
  4. present — the time now
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. present — a gift
  7. net — after costs
  8. net — in sport
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. bound — tied together
  11. season — of the year
  12. bound — obliged
  13. stock — goods
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. net — for catching
  16. plane — a tool
  17. lean — to bend
  18. stock — shares
  19. rule — government
  20. rule — a law
  21. present — there
  22. lean — thin
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. lean — to rest against

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