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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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. rush — hurry
  5. stock — shares
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. rock — a stone
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. season — in sport
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. season — of the year
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. stock — goods
  20. plane — a tool
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. rock — music

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