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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. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. rock — a stone
  3. stock — shares
  4. march — the month
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. march — the month
  7. object — a thing
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. march — music
  11. roll — a list
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. bulb — for light
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. object — to protest
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. roll — a cake
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. bulb — for light
  21. date — the fruit
  22. object — an aim
  23. rock — music
  24. rock — to move gently

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