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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 band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. suit — clothes
  4. mate — to breed
  5. lean — to bend
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. lean — thin
  9. roll — a list
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. mate — a friend
  12. suit — in cards
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. mate — a partner
  15. suit — to fit
  16. march — the month
  17. march — the month
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. roll — a cake
  21. stock — goods
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. stock — shares

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