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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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. club — for dancing
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. club — a group
  6. ground — the earth
  7. march — the month
  8. plane — a tool
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. deal — to handle
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. stock — shares
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. ground — a position
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. stock — goods
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. club — for golf
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. ground — crushed
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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