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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 120 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. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. content — the amount
  9. season — of the year
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. sharp — clever
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. season — in sport
  16. content — happy
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. pass — a permit
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. stock — shares
  24. stock — a soup base

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