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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 have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. stock — goods
  3. hand — in cards
  4. charge — in control
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. stock — shares
  8. hand — help
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. march — music
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. charge — a price
  13. march — the month
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. toast — bread
  17. charge — electricity
  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