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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. stock — goods
  3. kick — in football
  4. march — music
  5. march — the month
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. perch — the fish
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. roll — a list
  11. stock — shares
  12. toast — bread
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. roll — a cake
  17. march — the month
  18. board — to get on
  19. plane — a tool
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. board — a committee
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. roll — on a roll

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