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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. suit — to fit
  3. suit — clothes
  4. mine — for digging
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. stock — shares
  8. season — in sport
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. stock — goods
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. pass — a permit
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. suit — in cards
  21. pitch — completely
  22. rash — a series
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. season — of the year

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