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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 116 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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. rash — a series
  3. rash — hasty
  4. season — of the year
  5. row — to paddle
  6. rest — a break
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. dip — to sink
  10. game — a match
  11. rest — what's left
  12. stock — goods
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. stock — shares
  15. season — in sport
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. rest — what's left
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. game — wild animals
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. row — a line
  24. dip — to dunk

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