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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  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. stock — a soup base
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. drill — army training
  4. lean — to bend
  5. lean — thin
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. march — music
  8. stock — shares
  9. can — a tin
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. rush — hurry
  13. can — to be able to
  14. drill — a practice
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. stock — goods
  18. drill — the tool
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. can — a tin
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. march — the month
  23. racket — a loud noise
  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