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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 120 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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. swing — music
  3. swing — in golf
  4. march — the month
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. march — the month
  7. drill — army training
  8. track — a song
  9. can — to be able to
  10. can — a tin
  11. march — music
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. stock — goods
  14. stock — shares
  15. can — a tin
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. drill — the tool
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. swing — to play on
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. track — to keep track
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. track — a path

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