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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 116 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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. court — for sport
  3. march — music
  4. court — of law
  5. stock — shares
  6. bass — low music
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. swing — in golf
  9. current — electric
  10. current — happening now
  11. swing — music
  12. court — of a king
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. can — a tin
  15. can — a tin
  16. stock — goods
  17. current — of water
  18. can — to be able to
  19. perch — the fish
  20. march — the month
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. bass — the fish
  24. swing — to play on

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