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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. stock — shares
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. face — to confront
  6. season — of the year
  7. hand — help
  8. can — a tin
  9. hand — in cards
  10. content — happy
  11. march — music
  12. can — to be able to
  13. stock — goods
  14. face — to point toward
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. content — the amount
  17. season — in sport
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. pass — a permit
  21. face — part of the head
  22. march — the month
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. can — a tin

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