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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. can — a tin
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. can — a tin
  5. mate — a partner
  6. scale — in music
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. march — the month
  9. mate — a friend
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. stock — shares
  12. court — of a king
  13. scale — size or range
  14. mate — to breed
  15. stock — goods
  16. ball — a dance
  17. mark — a trace
  18. march — music
  19. can — to be able to
  20. court — for sport
  21. march — the month
  22. court — of law
  23. ball — a great time
  24. mark — a grade

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