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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. season — in sport
  5. cue — for pool
  6. object — an aim
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. cue — a signal
  10. fall — the season
  11. season — of the year
  12. squash — the sport
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. cue — a hint
  15. stock — shares
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. squash — to crush
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. object — a thing
  22. fall — to drop
  23. fall — to drop
  24. stock — goods

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