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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  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. stand — to bear
  3. stock — goods
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. track — to keep track
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. season — in sport
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. mine — for digging
  13. stock — shares
  14. track — a song
  15. season — of the year
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. rush — hurry
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. track — a path
  23. stand — on your feet
  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