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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. march — the month
  3. squash — to crush
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. bound — obliged
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. suit — to fit
  9. suit — clothes
  10. bound — tied together
  11. march — music
  12. mine — for digging
  13. bound — certain
  14. march — the month
  15. stock — shares
  16. squash — the sport
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. rest — what's left
  19. suit — in cards
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. stock — goods
  22. rest — what's left
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. rest — a break

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