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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. bank — for money
  3. pound — a weight
  4. ball — a dance
  5. stock — shares
  6. rest — a break
  7. season — in sport
  8. bank — of a river
  9. stock — goods
  10. squash — the sport
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. lean — thin
  14. season — of the year
  15. rest — what's left
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. bank — for money
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. ball — a great time
  20. squash — to crush
  21. rest — what's left
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. lean — to bend

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