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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. stock — goods
  4. stock — shares
  5. march — the month
  6. rush — hurry
  7. field — a subject
  8. field — for sport
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. can — a tin
  12. can — to be able to
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. march — music
  15. bass — the fish
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. field — farmland
  18. pitch — completely
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. bass — low music
  21. can — a tin
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. bass — the instrument

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