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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. season — in sport
  3. band — a ring
  4. stock — shares
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. key — in music
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. bass — the fish
  9. key — the most important part
  10. lie — to recline
  11. season — of the year
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. staff — employees
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. bass — low music
  16. key — for a lock
  17. staff — employees
  18. band — a music group
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. staff — a stick
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. stock — goods

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