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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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Word bank
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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  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. season — to add flavour
  2. scale — size or range
  3. scale — in music
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. season — in sport
  6. stock — shares
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. charge — electricity
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. season — of the year
  11. fine — high quality
  12. fine — all right
  13. can — a tin
  14. can — to be able to
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. charge — in control
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. can — a tin
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. cold — an illness
  21. cold — not warm
  22. charge — a price
  23. fine — a penalty
  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