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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 124 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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. stock — shares
  3. current — of water
  4. deal — to handle
  5. season — in sport
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. current — happening now
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. stand — to bear
  11. season — of the year
  12. last — to go on
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. stock — goods
  17. current — electric
  18. last — final
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. stand — on your feet

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