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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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468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: leaves · stock · ball · scale · season · present · wake · bowl

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. ball — a great time
  3. ball — a dance
  4. present — there
  5. scale — in music
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. stock — shares
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. season — of the year
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. present — a gift
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. present — the time now
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. wake — a trail
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. season — in sport
  24. scale — size or range

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