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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. present — there
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. mug — to rob
  8. face — to point toward
  9. mug — a face
  10. present — a gift
  11. face — part of the head
  12. club — for dancing
  13. stock — shares
  14. season — in sport
  15. club — for golf
  16. face — to confront
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. mug — a cup
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. season — of the year
  21. stock — goods
  22. club — a group
  23. deal — to handle
  24. present — the time now

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