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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 120 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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. stock — goods
  3. scale — in music
  4. mark — a trace
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. spell — a short time
  7. firm — a company
  8. march — music
  9. mark — a grade
  10. spell — magic
  11. spell — letters
  12. march — the month
  13. stock — shares
  14. march — the month
  15. scale — size or range
  16. shower — rain
  17. firm — steady
  18. firm — decided
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. stock — a soup base

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