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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. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. stock — shares
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. season — of the year
  6. toast — bread
  7. stock — goods
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. ball — a great time
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. shower — to wash
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. ball — a dance
  18. shower — rain
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. stand — to bear
  22. plane — a tool
  23. rush — hurry
  24. season — to add flavour

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