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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. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. rash — a series
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. march — the month
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. march — music
  14. mark — a grade
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. stock — goods
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. mark — a trace
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. lie — to recline
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. rash — hasty
  24. march — the month

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