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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 120 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 band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. dip — to sink
  3. pitch — completely
  4. stock — shares
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. march — the month
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. ball — a great time
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. ball — a dance
  17. march — the month
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. stock — goods

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