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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. stock — goods
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. march — the month
  7. march — music
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. roll — a cake
  11. march — the month
  12. fine — all right
  13. roll — a list
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. fine — high quality
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. stock — shares
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. bowl — a football final

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