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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. stock — goods
  4. rest — a break
  5. season — in sport
  6. fall — to drop
  7. season — of the year
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. cell — a phone
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. stock — shares
  13. rest — what's left
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. fall — to drop
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. cell — in biology
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. board — to get on
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. fall — the season
  22. board — a committee
  23. rest — what's left
  24. safe — out of danger

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