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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. stock — goods
  3. staff — a stick
  4. squash — to crush
  5. saw — the tool
  6. season — in sport
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. rest — what's left
  10. stock — shares
  11. staff — employees
  12. saw — the tool
  13. rash — hasty
  14. season — of the year
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. staff — employees
  17. pit — a hole
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. squash — the sport
  20. pit — in a race
  21. rash — a series
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. rest — what's left

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