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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 120 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. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. stock — shares
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. sharp — clever
  6. march — the month
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. net — in sport
  11. bank — for money
  12. land — ground
  13. land — a country
  14. march — the month
  15. pitch — completely
  16. rush — hurry
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. bank — for money
  19. bank — of a river
  20. land — to come down
  21. net — after costs
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. net — for catching
  24. stock — goods

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