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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. march — the month
  3. suit — in cards
  4. stock — goods
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. prune — to trim
  7. march — music
  8. hand — in cards
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. sharp — clever
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. hand — help
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. shower — rain
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. stock — shares
  20. suit — clothes
  21. shower — to wash
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. suit — to fit
  24. prune — to trim

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