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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. mug — to rob
  4. stock — shares
  5. rash — a series
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. stock — goods
  8. rash — hasty
  9. cap — of ice
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. squash — to crush
  12. mug — a face
  13. march — the month
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. march — music
  16. march — the month
  17. cap — a hat
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. squash — the sport
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. cap — a lid
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. mug — a cup
  24. coach — a trainer

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