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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. season — in sport
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. cue — a hint
  6. stock — shares
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. cue — a signal
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. craft — boats
  11. mate — a friend
  12. track — a path
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. stock — goods
  15. fine — high quality
  16. cue — for pool
  17. craft — a skill
  18. fine — all right
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. track — a song
  21. season — of the year
  22. mate — a partner
  23. mate — to breed
  24. craft — a handicraft

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