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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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. stock — shares
  6. fork — in a road
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. cap — a lid
  9. season — in sport
  10. cap — a hat
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. cap — of ice
  13. pop — soda
  14. season — of the year
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. staff — employees
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. pop — to visit
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. pop — music
  23. stock — goods
  24. staff — a stick

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