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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. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. season — in sport
  3. firm — decided
  4. mug — a cup
  5. stock — shares
  6. firm — steady
  7. season — of the year
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. fall — to drop
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. mug — to rob
  13. stock — goods
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. fall — the season
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. fall — to drop
  18. mark — a trace
  19. mug — a face
  20. mark — a grade
  21. band — a music group
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. firm — a company

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