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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. bear — the animal
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. march — the month
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. stock — goods
  8. march — music
  9. capital — a city
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. charge — electricity
  12. wake — a trail
  13. bear — the animal
  14. stock — shares
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. charge — a price
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. march — the month
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. capital — money
  24. charge — in control

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