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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. march — music
  3. stock — goods
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. fine — all right
  6. degree — from a university
  7. stock — shares
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. stand — to bear
  13. degree — temperature
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. degree — an amount
  17. kid — child
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. fine — high quality
  20. march — the month
  21. branch — a division
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. kid — to tease
  24. racket — for tennis

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