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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. mate — a friend
  3. march — the month
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. mate — to breed
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. stock — goods
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. fine — high quality
  14. mate — a partner
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. squash — the sport
  17. march — music
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. stock — shares
  23. squash — to crush
  24. fine — all right

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