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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. craft — a skill
  3. march — music
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. lean — thin
  7. lean — to bend
  8. press — newspapers
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. press — to push
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. roll — a cake
  13. mate — a friend
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. press — a publisher
  16. craft — boats
  17. mate — to breed
  18. scale — size or range
  19. stock — shares
  20. march — the month
  21. roll — a list
  22. stock — goods
  23. march — the month
  24. mate — a partner

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