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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. craft — boats
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. march — the month
  5. stock — shares
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. charge — in control
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. craft — a skill
  11. branch — a division
  12. charge — a price
  13. lie — to recline
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. chip — for betting
  17. march — music
  18. chip — to eat
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. charge — electricity
  21. wake — a trail
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. stock — goods
  24. lie — an untruth

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