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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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. track — a song
  3. season — of the year
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. capital — money
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. stock — shares
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. craft — a skill
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. capital — a city
  14. season — in sport
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. stock — goods
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. track — a path
  19. craft — boats
  20. track — to keep track
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. rule — government
  24. rule — a law

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