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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. plane — a tool
  3. sharp — clever
  4. march — music
  5. stock — goods
  6. key — in music
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. season — of the year
  10. chip — for betting
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. key — for a lock
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. chip — to eat
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. season — in sport
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. key — the most important part
  23. march — the month
  24. stock — shares

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