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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. wound — an injury
  6. stock — shares
  7. charge — electricity
  8. stock — goods
  9. march — the month
  10. charge — in control
  11. march — music
  12. march — the month
  13. mark — a grade
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. charge — a price
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. mark — a trace
  18. wound — an injury

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