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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. bank — for money
  3. mark — a grade
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. bank — of a river
  6. toast — bread
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. capital — money
  10. stock — shares
  11. capital — a city
  12. stock — goods
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. bank — for money
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. march — the month
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. march — the month
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. march — music
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. mark — a trace

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