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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. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. march — music
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. march — the month
  7. stock — goods
  8. suit — clothes
  9. pop — music
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. rash — a series
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. pop — soda
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. bulb — for light
  17. march — the month
  18. suit — in cards
  19. suit — to fit
  20. pop — to visit
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. stock — shares
  23. rash — hasty
  24. bulb — for light

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