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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. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. club — for golf
  4. march — the month
  5. key — the most important part
  6. cap — of ice
  7. kick — in football
  8. stock — goods
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. club — a group
  11. club — for dancing
  12. key — in music
  13. pound — a weight
  14. ground — a position
  15. cap — a lid
  16. stock — shares
  17. cap — a hat
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. key — for a lock
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. ground — crushed
  23. ground — the earth
  24. march — the month

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