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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. deal — to handle
  3. season — in sport
  4. bass — low music
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. row — a line
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. stock — shares
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. bass — the fish
  18. perch — the fish
  19. row — to paddle
  20. rock — music
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. stock — goods
  23. rock — a stone
  24. kick — in football

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