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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 supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. charge — a price
  3. craft — a skill
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. march — the month
  6. charge — in control
  7. charge — electricity
  8. chest — a box
  9. bound — tied together
  10. march — music
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. chest — of your body
  13. stock — shares
  14. pop — soda
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. march — the month
  17. bound — certain
  18. wake — a trail
  19. pop — to visit
  20. craft — boats
  21. chest — of your body
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. bound — obliged
  24. pop — music

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