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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. chair — a leader
  4. march — the month
  5. fine — all right
  6. spell — a short time
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. shower — rain
  9. spell — magic
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. stock — shares
  15. march — music
  16. stock — goods
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. march — the month
  19. rock — a stone
  20. fine — high quality
  21. spell — letters
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. shower — to wash
  24. chair — a professorship

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