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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. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. march — the month
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. march — music
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. pass — a permit
  11. present — there
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. present — a gift
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. dip — to sink
  19. present — the time now
  20. stock — shares
  21. stock — goods
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. leaves — lets stay

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