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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. fork — in a road
  3. season — in sport
  4. wind — moving air
  5. bear — the animal
  6. wind — moving air
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. bear — the animal
  9. stock — goods
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. vault — a safe
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. rock — music
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. stock — shares
  19. snap — to click
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. season — of the year
  24. rock — a stone

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