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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. march — the month
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. perch — the fish
  5. can — a tin
  6. tear — from crying
  7. march — the month
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. can — a tin
  10. tear — to rip
  11. pop — soda
  12. pop — to visit
  13. stock — shares
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. can — to be able to
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. stock — goods
  23. tear — from crying
  24. march — music

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