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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. land — a country
  3. march — music
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. land — to come down
  6. charge — electricity
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. march — the month
  9. swing — to play on
  10. season — in sport
  11. swing — in golf
  12. charge — a price
  13. stock — goods
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. charge — in control
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. bark — to shout
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. stock — shares
  22. swing — music
  23. march — the month
  24. land — ground

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