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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 120 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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. present — the time now
  4. march — the month
  5. lean — thin
  6. kid — to tease
  7. present — there
  8. march — music
  9. firm — a company
  10. firm — steady
  11. kid — child
  12. present — a gift
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. lean — to bend
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. firm — decided
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. stock — goods
  21. stock — shares
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. march — the month

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