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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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. wake — a trail
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. pass — a permit
  5. stock — goods
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. roll — a list
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. fine — all right
  11. foot — a measure
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. fine — high quality
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. season — of the year
  20. season — in sport
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. stock — shares
  24. roll — on a roll

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