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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 ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. march — the month
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. stock — goods
  5. present — the time now
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. present — a gift
  8. stock — shares
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. chest — of your body
  11. march — music
  12. march — the month
  13. chest — a box
  14. chest — of your body
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. date — the fruit
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. present — there
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. wave — with your hand

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