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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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. fall — the season
  3. fall — to drop
  4. fall — to drop
  5. season — of the year
  6. ball — a great time
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. season — in sport
  9. stock — goods
  10. shower — rain
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. swing — in golf
  13. shower — to wash
  14. field — for sport
  15. field — farmland
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. swing — music
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. ball — a dance
  22. stock — shares
  23. swing — to play on
  24. field — a subject

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