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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. bat — the animal
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. march — the month
  7. race — the arms race
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. mark — a grade
  10. bear — the animal
  11. mark — a trace
  12. bear — the animal
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. race — humankind
  15. stock — shares
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. race — a contest
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. march — music
  22. stock — goods
  23. march — the month
  24. fine — all right

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