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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 116 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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. rest — what's left
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. cap — of ice
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. rock — a stone
  9. tear — from crying
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. rush — hurry
  14. cap — a lid
  15. rock — music
  16. rest — what's left
  17. tear — to rip
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. stock — shares
  20. rest — a break
  21. perch — the fish
  22. tear — from crying
  23. cap — a hat
  24. stock — goods

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