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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. suit — to fit
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. charge — a price
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. suit — clothes
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. stock — shares
  10. suit — in cards
  11. pass — a permit
  12. charge — electricity
  13. prune — to trim
  14. shower — rain
  15. charge — in control
  16. prune — to trim
  17. staff — employees
  18. march — music
  19. stock — goods
  20. staff — employees
  21. staff — a stick
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. march — the month
  24. shower — to wash

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