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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. sharp — clever
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. march — music
  11. march — the month
  12. rock — a stone
  13. season — of the year
  14. season — in sport
  15. march — the month
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. stock — shares
  19. stock — goods
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. tube — a container
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. tube — the underground
  24. rock — music

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