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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. fine — high quality
  3. march — the month
  4. stock — shares
  5. race — a contest
  6. stock — goods
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. cap — of ice
  9. race — the arms race
  10. cap — a hat
  11. pop — to visit
  12. march — music
  13. fine — all right
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. race — humankind
  16. cap — a lid
  17. march — the month
  18. pop — music

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