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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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. tear — to rip
  5. tear — from crying
  6. fine — high quality
  7. rest — a break
  8. pop — music
  9. stock — goods
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. craft — a skill
  12. rest — what's left
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. rest — what's left
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. pop — soda
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. pop — to visit
  20. craft — boats
  21. fine — all right
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. stock — shares
  24. tear — from crying

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