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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. track — a song
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. track — to keep track
  6. lie — to recline
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. fine — all right
  11. track — a path
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. spring — of water
  14. stand — to bear
  15. season — in sport
  16. spring — a coil
  17. spring — the season
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. season — of the year
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. cabinet — ministers

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