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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. march — the month
  3. track — a path
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. can — to be able to
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. march — music
  9. stock — goods
  10. vault — a safe
  11. capital — a city
  12. capital — money
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. track — to keep track
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. track — a song
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. stock — shares
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. can — a tin
  23. march — the month
  24. trunk — of a tree

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