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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. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. stock — shares
  3. object — a thing
  4. swing — music
  5. object — an aim
  6. prune — to trim
  7. club — a group
  8. saw — the tool
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. march — the month
  11. bank — for money
  12. prune — to trim
  13. club — for dancing
  14. object — to protest
  15. bank — of a river
  16. saw — the tool
  17. swing — in golf
  18. club — for golf
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. march — the month
  21. bank — for money
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. swing — to play on
  24. stock — goods

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