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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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. drill — army training
  3. stock — goods
  4. bound — certain
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. stock — shares
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. bound — tied together
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. drill — the tool
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. drill — a practice
  17. bound — obliged
  18. march — the month
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. march — music

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