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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 will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. march — music
  4. net — after costs
  5. march — the month
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. pit — a hole
  9. stock — goods
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. ground — a position
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. net — for catching
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. ground — the earth
  18. ground — crushed
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. pit — in a race
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. net — in sport
  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