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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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. stock — goods
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. spell — a short time
  5. band — a ring
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. dip — to sink
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. hand — help
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. spell — magic
  16. spell — letters
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. hand — in cards
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. stock — shares
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. band — a music group
  24. leaves — lets stay

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