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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 120 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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. stock — shares
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. bound — certain
  7. chip — for betting
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. march — the month
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. rash — a series
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. stock — goods
  14. march — the month
  15. bound — obliged
  16. rush — hurry
  17. bound — tied together
  18. march — music
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. foot — a measure
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. chip — to eat

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