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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 flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. last — finally
  3. object — to protest
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. last — final
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. object — a thing
  8. sharp — clever
  9. spring — of water
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. last — to go on
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. stock — shares
  15. spring — a coil
  16. stock — goods
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. ball — a dance
  19. object — an aim
  20. stand — to bear
  21. rash — hasty
  22. rash — a series
  23. ball — a great time
  24. rash — on the skin

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