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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. stock — goods
  3. cap — a lid
  4. rock — music
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. firm — decided
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. sharp — clever
  10. fall — the season
  11. firm — a company
  12. fall — to drop
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. rock — a stone
  15. firm — steady
  16. cap — a hat
  17. stock — shares
  18. march — music
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. march — the month
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. cap — of ice
  23. fall — to drop
  24. march — the month

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