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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. file — a tool
  3. cap — of ice
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. file — a document
  6. cap — a lid
  7. stock — goods
  8. file — a line of people
  9. face — to confront
  10. suit — to fit
  11. stock — shares
  12. cap — a hat
  13. march — music
  14. face — part of the head
  15. squash — to crush
  16. face — to point toward
  17. march — the month
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. suit — in cards
  21. march — the month
  22. squash — the sport
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. suit — clothes

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