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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 have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. fine — high quality
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. key — in music
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. march — music
  7. bass — the fish
  8. fine — all right
  9. pound — a weight
  10. march — the month
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. bass — low music
  14. court — for sport
  15. march — the month
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. court — of a king
  19. key — for a lock
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. court — of law
  22. stock — goods
  23. key — the most important part
  24. stock — shares

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