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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 supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. game — wild animals
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. stock — shares
  9. game — a match
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. march — the month
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. march — music
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. suit — to fit
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. date — the fruit
  18. pass — a permit
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. suit — in cards
  22. suit — clothes
  23. march — the month
  24. fan — a supporter

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