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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. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. march — the month
  3. deal — to handle
  4. can — a tin
  5. stock — goods
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. bulb — for light
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. bulb — for light
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. can — a tin
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. stock — shares
  14. march — the month
  15. kid — child
  16. rest — a break
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. kid — to tease
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. can — to be able to
  22. rest — what's left
  23. rest — what's left
  24. nail — for a hammer

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