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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  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. wake — a trail
  2. fall — to drop
  3. stock — shares
  4. march — music
  5. scale — in music
  6. stock — goods
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. fall — the season
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. march — the month
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. fall — to drop
  16. roll — a list
  17. perch — the fish
  18. scale — size or range
  19. roll — a cake
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. roll — on a roll
  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