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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. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. march — the month
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. band — a music group
  5. craft — boats
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. mate — a partner
  8. stock — goods
  9. bank — for money
  10. march — music
  11. rule — a law
  12. bank — of a river
  13. mate — to breed
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. bank — for money
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. rule — government
  19. mate — a friend
  20. craft — a skill
  21. march — the month
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. stock — shares
  24. stock — a soup base

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