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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. mark — a grade
  3. race — humankind
  4. land — to come down
  5. suit — in cards
  6. staff — employees
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. season — of the year
  10. staff — employees
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. land — a country
  13. stock — goods
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. staff — a stick
  16. stock — shares
  17. pitch — completely
  18. suit — to fit
  19. race — the arms race
  20. land — ground
  21. mark — a trace
  22. suit — clothes
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. race — a contest

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