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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. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. rule — a law
  3. fall — to drop
  4. fall — the season
  5. object — an aim
  6. kid — to tease
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. kid — child
  9. object — a thing
  10. prune — to trim
  11. object — to protest
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. stock — shares
  14. rule — government
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. stock — goods
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. march — the month
  21. prune — to trim
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. fall — to drop
  24. march — the month

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