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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. saw — the tool
  3. stock — goods
  4. pit — a hole
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. pit — in a race
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. season — of the year
  10. lie — to recline
  11. key — for a lock
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. key — in music
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. can — to be able to
  16. can — a tin
  17. stock — shares
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. saw — the tool
  20. perch — the fish
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. key — the most important part
  23. can — a tin
  24. season — in sport

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