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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 ________________ market has crashed.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. rest — what's left
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. march — music
  5. ground — a position
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. march — the month
  8. stock — goods
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. rest — what's left
  11. march — the month
  12. band — a ring
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. lie — to recline
  19. ground — the earth
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. rest — a break
  23. ground — crushed
  24. band — a music group

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