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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 120 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 supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. stock — shares
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. march — the month
  7. march — music
  8. rock — a stone
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. drill — a practice
  11. face — part of the head
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. drill — the tool
  15. mine — for digging
  16. drill — army training
  17. face — to point toward
  18. face — to confront
  19. rock — music
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. march — the month
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. stem — to come from

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