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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  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. present — the time now
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. rock — a stone
  4. degree — from a university
  5. present — there
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. degree — temperature
  11. degree — an amount
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. sharp — clever
  15. stock — shares
  16. present — a gift
  17. season — in sport
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. stock — goods
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. leaves — of a tree
  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