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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. march — the month
  3. firm — decided
  4. last — to go on
  5. march — music
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. key — for a lock
  8. stock — goods
  9. face — to confront
  10. face — part of the head
  11. firm — steady
  12. stock — shares
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. key — the most important part
  15. last — finally
  16. current — of water
  17. current — electric
  18. key — in music
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. firm — a company
  21. face — to point toward
  22. march — the month
  23. current — happening now
  24. last — final

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