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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. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. season — of the year
  5. capital — a city
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. season — in sport
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. chip — to eat
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. content — the amount
  12. can — a tin
  13. stock — shares
  14. content — happy
  15. chip — for betting
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. capital — money
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. can — a tin
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. can — to be able to
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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