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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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. march — the month
  4. staff — a stick
  5. stock — goods
  6. stock — shares
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. staff — employees
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. season — of the year
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. season — in sport
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. march — music
  19. march — the month
  20. mate — to breed
  21. mate — a partner
  22. mate — a friend
  23. sharp — clever
  24. sharp — with an edge

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