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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. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. degree — from a university
  3. last — to go on
  4. stock — goods
  5. suit — to fit
  6. degree — temperature
  7. march — music
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. mark — a trace
  10. last — finally
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. degree — an amount
  14. suit — in cards
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. mark — a grade
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. march — the month
  21. suit — clothes
  22. last — final
  23. mine — for digging
  24. stock — shares

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