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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. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. pit — in a race
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. march — the month
  6. stock — goods
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. stock — shares
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. pit — a hole
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. craft — boats
  18. wake — a trail
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. craft — a skill
  21. lean — thin
  22. march — the month
  23. lean — to bend
  24. leaves — lets stay

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