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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. spell — a short time
  3. rock — music
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. rock — a stone
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. craft — boats
  10. shower — rain
  11. stock — shares
  12. shower — to wash
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. season — of the year
  15. toast — bread
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. season — in sport
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. spell — magic
  21. stock — goods
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. craft — a skill

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