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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  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. present — a gift
  2. tear — to rip
  3. march — the month
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. tear — from crying
  6. march — music
  7. tear — from crying
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. cue — for pool
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. present — the time now
  12. stock — shares
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. cue — a hint
  15. present — there
  16. stock — goods
  17. cue — a signal
  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