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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 120 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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. present — there
  3. stock — shares
  4. march — the month
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. board — a committee
  7. pop — to visit
  8. present — the time now
  9. stock — goods
  10. pop — music
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. march — the month
  13. board — to get on
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. present — a gift
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. march — music
  20. pop — soda
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. rock — a stone

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