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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. ball — a great time
  4. wound — an injury
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. stock — goods
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. season — in sport
  11. ball — a dance
  12. chip — for betting
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. chip — to eat
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. stock — shares
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. wound — an injury
  22. wake — a trail
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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