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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. march — the month
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. spring — of water
  6. stock — goods
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. spring — a coil
  9. march — music
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. deal — to handle
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. stock — shares
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. bass — the fish
  16. pound — a weight
  17. spring — the season
  18. bass — low music
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. deal — an agreement

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