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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. march — the month
  3. lean — to bend
  4. scale — in music
  5. stock — goods
  6. march — music
  7. rash — a series
  8. lean — thin
  9. rash — hasty
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. pit — in a race
  14. scale — size or range
  15. stock — shares
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. march — the month

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