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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 120 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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. season — of the year
  3. cell — a phone
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. kick — in football
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. stock — shares
  10. rock — music
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. dip — to sink
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. kid — child
  18. cell — in biology
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. stock — goods
  22. rock — a stone
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. kid — to tease

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