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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. pound — a weight
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. rest — what's left
  7. march — music
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. bass — the fish
  11. bass — low music
  12. last — to go on
  13. last — final
  14. rest — a break
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. stock — goods
  18. perch — the fish
  19. rest — what's left
  20. last — finally
  21. march — the month
  22. march — the month
  23. stock — shares
  24. perch — for a bird

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