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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 124 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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. hand — in cards
  5. hand — help
  6. march — the month
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. club — a group
  9. pit — a hole
  10. club — for golf
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. rock — a stone
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. march — the month
  15. spell — magic
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. spell — letters
  18. wake — a trail
  19. stock — goods
  20. rock — music
  21. club — for dancing
  22. spell — a short time
  23. stock — shares
  24. pit — in a race

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