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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. stock — shares
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. pop — soda
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. squash — to crush
  8. march — music
  9. object — an aim
  10. object — to protest
  11. squash — the sport
  12. cap — a lid
  13. march — the month
  14. pop — to visit
  15. net — in sport
  16. cap — a hat
  17. net — for catching
  18. stock — goods
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. pop — music
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. net — after costs
  23. cap — of ice
  24. object — a thing

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