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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 hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. rule — a law
  4. bass — the fish
  5. march — the month
  6. wind — moving air
  7. march — music
  8. can — a tin
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. ground — crushed
  11. mark — a grade
  12. march — the month
  13. rule — government
  14. can — a tin
  15. can — to be able to
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. ground — a position
  18. bass — low music
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. rock — a stone
  22. wind — moving air
  23. rock — music
  24. ground — the earth

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