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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 120 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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. bass — low music
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. race — a contest
  7. lean — thin
  8. mate — a partner
  9. race — humankind
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. bass — the fish
  16. stock — goods
  17. race — the arms race
  18. stock — shares
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. mate — a friend
  23. mate — to breed
  24. lean — to bend

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