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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. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. season — of the year
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. rock — a stone
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. stock — goods
  10. wake — a trail
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. season — in sport
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. object — to protest
  15. rock — music
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. object — an aim
  22. object — a thing
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. coach — a trainer

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