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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. race — the arms race
  4. race — a contest
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. wake — a trail
  8. race — humankind
  9. march — the month
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. rock — music
  13. stock — goods
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. rock — a stone
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. march — the month
  22. march — music
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. bay — a horse colour

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