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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. march — the month
  4. stock — shares
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. field — farmland
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. face — to confront
  9. march — music
  10. rash — hasty
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. field — for sport
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. face — part of the head
  15. march — the month
  16. pass — a permit
  17. face — to point toward
  18. rush — hurry
  19. stock — goods
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. rash — a series
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. field — a subject
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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