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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 will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. hand — help
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. march — music
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. hand — in cards
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. stock — shares
  11. stand — to bear
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. march — the month
  16. stock — goods
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. chair — a leader
  19. tear — to rip
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. tear — from crying
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. tear — from crying

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