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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. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. march — music
  4. suit — to fit
  5. suit — in cards
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. degree — from a university
  8. stock — goods
  9. craft — a skill
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. degree — an amount
  12. pop — music
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. march — the month
  15. march — the month
  16. last — to go on
  17. last — finally
  18. pop — to visit
  19. craft — boats
  20. date — the fruit
  21. suit — clothes
  22. stock — shares
  23. pop — soda
  24. last — final

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