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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. craft — boats
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. content — the amount
  7. pop — soda
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. pop — music
  11. stock — shares
  12. bat — the animal
  13. season — in sport
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. craft — a skill
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. season — of the year
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. content — happy
  22. pop — to visit
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. stock — goods

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