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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. march — music
  3. stock — goods
  4. can — a tin
  5. pound — a weight
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. root — of a plant
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. root — of a word
  11. chip — for betting
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. chip — to eat
  17. root — the cause
  18. march — the month
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. can — a tin
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. stock — shares
  24. can — to be able to

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