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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. rest — what's left
  3. season — of the year
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. stock — shares
  6. field — a subject
  7. rest — a break
  8. ground — the earth
  9. field — farmland
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. bulb — for light
  14. season — in sport
  15. ground — crushed
  16. saw — the tool
  17. saw — the tool
  18. stock — goods
  19. wake — a trail
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. field — for sport
  22. bulb — for light
  23. rest — what's left
  24. ground — a position

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