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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. field — a subject
  3. march — the month
  4. bear — the animal
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. rest — what's left
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. band — a music group
  9. rest — a break
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. bear — the animal
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. march — music
  14. pass — a permit
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. stock — shares
  18. field — for sport
  19. march — the month
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. field — farmland
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. stock — goods
  24. band — a ring

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