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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 120 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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. rest — what's left
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. suit — in cards
  5. rest — a break
  6. rest — what's left
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. deal — to handle
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. stem — to come from
  12. march — music
  13. stock — goods
  14. mug — to rob
  15. suit — clothes
  16. stock — shares
  17. mug — a cup
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. suit — to fit
  20. march — the month
  21. mug — a face
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. deal — an agreement

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