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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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. season — in sport
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. toast — bread
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. rock — music
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. rest — a break
  10. season — of the year
  11. pop — soda
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. pop — music
  15. rest — what's left
  16. rock — a stone
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. pop — to visit
  20. craft — a skill
  21. stock — goods
  22. stock — shares
  23. craft — boats
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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