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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. bank — of a river
  3. pop — soda
  4. fine — all right
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. mark — a trace
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. bank — for money
  9. mark — a grade
  10. pop — music
  11. season — in sport
  12. pop — to visit
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. fine — high quality
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. bank — for money
  20. stock — shares
  21. stock — goods
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. season — of the year
  24. mark — to pay attention

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