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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 president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. present — there
  4. squash — the sport
  5. present — a gift
  6. saw — the tool
  7. march — music
  8. march — the month
  9. charge — in control
  10. present — the time now
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. bank — for money
  13. object — an aim
  14. object — to protest
  15. bank — for money
  16. march — the month
  17. charge — a price
  18. saw — the tool
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. bank — of a river
  21. stock — shares
  22. charge — electricity
  23. stock — goods
  24. object — a thing

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