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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. march — the month
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. hand — help
  6. ball — a great time
  7. present — the time now
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. season — in sport
  10. hand — in cards
  11. stock — goods
  12. stock — shares
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. present — a gift
  15. rock — a stone
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. present — there
  19. march — the month
  20. march — music
  21. ball — a dance
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. rock — music
  24. season — of the year

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