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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. can — a tin
  3. season — of the year
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. bass — low music
  7. bass — the fish
  8. spell — a short time
  9. can — a tin
  10. can — to be able to
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. stock — goods
  13. stock — shares
  14. season — in sport
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. fine — high quality
  17. spell — magic
  18. stem — to come from
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. spell — letters
  24. season — to add flavour

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