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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 116 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. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. march — the month
  4. suit — in cards
  5. stock — goods
  6. suit — clothes
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. branch — a division
  9. squash — to crush
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. spring — the season
  12. stock — shares
  13. plane — a tool
  14. suit — to fit
  15. kick — in football
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. march — the month
  19. squash — the sport
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. spring — a coil
  24. spring — of water

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