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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. wake — a trail
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. band — a ring
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. stock — shares
  7. suit — in cards
  8. stock — goods
  9. fine — high quality
  10. roll — a cake
  11. suit — to fit
  12. season — of the year
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. roll — a list
  16. suit — clothes
  17. scale — in music
  18. scale — size or range
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. season — in sport
  23. band — a music group
  24. fine — a penalty

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