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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. row — to paddle
  4. march — the month
  5. content — the amount
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. scale — in music
  10. scale — size or range
  11. content — happy
  12. toast — bread
  13. stock — goods
  14. foot — a measure
  15. pass — a permit
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. stock — shares
  19. march — music
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. row — a line
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. content — videos and posts

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