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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. That was a fun ________________.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. game — a match
  3. march — the month
  4. can — a tin
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. tear — to rip
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. can — to be able to
  10. game — wild animals
  11. board — to get on
  12. march — music
  13. tear — from crying
  14. can — a tin
  15. roll — a list
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. roll — a cake
  18. stock — shares
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. tear — from crying
  23. stock — goods
  24. board — a committee

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