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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. spell — a short time
  3. toast — bread
  4. stock — shares
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. can — a tin
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. spell — magic
  9. stem — to come from
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. season — of the year
  12. deal — to handle
  13. can — a tin
  14. lean — thin
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. lean — to bend
  19. stock — goods
  20. spell — letters
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. can — to be able to

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