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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. pop — soda
  3. stock — shares
  4. pound — a weight
  5. march — music
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. pass — a permit
  8. club — for golf
  9. march — the month
  10. toast — bread
  11. pop — music
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. fine — high quality
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. fine — all right
  18. stock — goods
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. club — for dancing
  21. pop — to visit
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. march — the month
  24. club — a 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