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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 116 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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. kid — to tease
  4. march — music
  5. kid — child
  6. season — of the year
  7. rule — a law
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. stock — goods
  11. ball — a dance
  12. rule — government
  13. rock — music
  14. pit — in a race
  15. stock — shares
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. pit — a hole
  19. march — the month
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. season — in sport
  22. rock — a stone
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. ball — a great time

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