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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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. rash — a series
  3. file — a tool
  4. march — the month
  5. tear — from crying
  6. row — to paddle
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. stock — shares
  9. file — a line of people
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. tear — from crying
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. tear — to rip
  15. stock — goods
  16. club — for golf
  17. march — music
  18. club — a group
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. row — a line
  22. rash — hasty
  23. club — for dancing
  24. file — a document

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