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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. track — to keep track
  3. can — to be able to
  4. stock — shares
  5. mark — a trace
  6. mark — a grade
  7. last — to go on
  8. last — final
  9. last — finally
  10. suit — clothes
  11. track — a song
  12. march — music
  13. suit — in cards
  14. saw — the tool
  15. saw — the tool
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. can — a tin
  18. stock — goods
  19. can — a tin
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. track — a path
  22. march — the month
  23. suit — to fit
  24. mark — to pay attention

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