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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. march — the month
  3. saw — the tool
  4. march — the month
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. mug — a cup
  7. stock — goods
  8. saw — the tool
  9. content — the amount
  10. last — finally
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. stock — shares
  13. bass — low music
  14. last — final
  15. last — to go on
  16. mug — a face
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. march — music
  19. lean — to bend
  20. lean — thin
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. bass — the fish
  24. content — happy

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