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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. foot — a measure
  4. tear — to rip
  5. tear — from crying
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. march — the month
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. stock — goods
  13. bass — the fish
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. pitch — completely
  16. march — music
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. bass — low music
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. lie — to recline
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. tear — from crying
  24. stock — shares

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