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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. 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. march — the month
  2. cue — a hint
  3. bass — low music
  4. club — a group
  5. cue — for pool
  6. march — music
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. saw — the tool
  9. saw — the tool
  10. club — for golf
  11. stock — goods
  12. club — for dancing
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. stock — shares
  17. toast — bread
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. bass — the fish
  20. cue — a signal
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. chair — a leader
  24. 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