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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 116 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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. present — the time now
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. march — the month
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. bass — the fish
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. spring — the season
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. rule — government
  12. stock — goods
  13. stock — shares
  14. march — the month
  15. present — there
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. march — music
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. rule — a law
  22. bass — low music
  23. present — a gift
  24. spring — of water

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