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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. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. rest — what's left
  4. bass — low music
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. chest — a box
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. march — the month
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. foot — a measure
  12. staff — employees
  13. chest — of your body
  14. march — the month
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. chest — of your body
  18. stock — goods
  19. staff — employees
  20. rest — what's left
  21. rest — a break
  22. staff — a stick
  23. bass — the fish
  24. stock — shares

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