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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 116 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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. file — a tool
  4. stock — shares
  5. can — a tin
  6. march — music
  7. craft — boats
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. craft — a skill
  10. march — the month
  11. rash — a series
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. can — to be able to
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. file — a document
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. stock — goods
  20. rash — hasty
  21. march — the month
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. can — a tin
  24. file — a line of people

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