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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. march — the month
  5. wind — moving air
  6. stock — shares
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. board — to get on
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. sharp — clever
  13. pop — soda
  14. suit — clothes
  15. board — a committee
  16. stock — goods
  17. march — music
  18. plane — a tool
  19. suit — in cards
  20. pop — music
  21. pop — to visit
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. wind — moving air
  24. suit — to fit

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