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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 teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. roll — a list
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. stock — shares
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. stock — goods
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. roll — a cake
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. kick — in football
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. march — music
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. rule — a law
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. march — the month
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. rule — government

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