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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. march — the month
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. chest — of your body
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. march — the month
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. chest — of your body
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. object — to protest
  13. march — music
  14. stock — goods
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. stock — shares
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. object — an aim
  21. object — a thing
  22. chest — a box
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. pass — a permit

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