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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. rash — hasty
  5. swing — in golf
  6. mark — a trace
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. wake — a trail
  9. swing — to play on
  10. stock — shares
  11. march — music
  12. rash — a series
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. swing — music
  16. mark — a grade
  17. march — the month
  18. stock — goods
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. march — the month
  23. rush — hurry
  24. rush — to hurry

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