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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. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. pound — a weight
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. rock — a stone
  8. cold — not warm
  9. cold — an illness
  10. stock — goods
  11. march — music
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. stock — shares
  21. march — the month
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. march — the month
  24. rock — music

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