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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 116 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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. field — a subject
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. rest — what's left
  7. stock — shares
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. rest — what's left
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. stock — goods
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. season — of the year
  16. rash — a series
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. rush — hurry
  19. field — for sport
  20. season — in sport
  21. field — farmland
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. rash — hasty
  24. rest — a break

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