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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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Word bank
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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. When are we going to ________________?
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. land — to come down
  3. scale — in music
  4. land — ground
  5. season — of the year
  6. stock — goods
  7. can — to be able to
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. plane — a tool
  14. stock — shares
  15. land — a country
  16. pass — a permit
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. can — a tin
  19. can — a tin
  20. scale — size or range
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. season — in sport
  24. wave — with your hand

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