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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. stock — goods
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. club — for dancing
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. mark — a grade
  10. march — the month
  11. march — the month
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. mark — a trace
  15. stock — shares
  16. club — a group
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. march — music
  21. perch — the fish
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. pound — a weight
  24. club — for golf

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