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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. pass — a permit
  3. charge — in control
  4. stock — goods
  5. stock — shares
  6. mark — a trace
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. march — the month
  9. tear — from crying
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. march — the month
  12. charge — a price
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. mark — a grade
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. ball — a dance
  18. charge — electricity
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. march — music
  23. tear — from crying
  24. tear — to rip

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