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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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. march — the month
  4. rest — a break
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. present — the time now
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. stock — goods
  11. rest — what's left
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. march — music
  15. present — there
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. present — a gift
  20. stock — shares
  21. pass — a permit
  22. march — the month
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. rest — what's left

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