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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. stock — shares
  4. content — happy
  5. march — the month
  6. dip — to sink
  7. rest — what's left
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. object — to protest
  12. march — music
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. net — for catching
  15. rest — a break
  16. object — an aim
  17. rest — what's left
  18. stock — goods
  19. content — the amount
  20. net — after costs
  21. net — in sport
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. object — a thing
  24. content — videos and posts

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