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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. can — to be able to
  3. can — a tin
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. season — of the year
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. stem — to come from
  9. stock — shares
  10. file — a document
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. spell — letters
  13. season — in sport
  14. can — a tin
  15. file — a tool
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. craft — boats
  18. pass — a permit
  19. spell — magic
  20. stock — goods
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. file — a line of people
  24. craft — a skill

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