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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. march — the month
  3. march — the month
  4. last — to go on
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. charge — in control
  7. kid — child
  8. cue — for pool
  9. charge — a price
  10. cue — a hint
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. charge — electricity
  13. stock — goods
  14. fine — high quality
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. kid — to tease
  17. cue — a signal
  18. lie — to recline
  19. stock — shares
  20. fine — all right
  21. march — music
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. last — final

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