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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. squash — to crush
  4. pop — soda
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. pop — to visit
  7. march — the month
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. march — the month
  10. land — ground
  11. stock — shares
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. land — a country
  15. stock — goods
  16. object — an aim
  17. land — to come down
  18. perch — the fish
  19. pop — music
  20. object — to protest
  21. march — music
  22. squash — the sport
  23. object — a thing
  24. perch — for a bird

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