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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 supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. can — to be able to
  3. object — an aim
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. march — music
  6. march — the month
  7. fine — high quality
  8. can — a tin
  9. can — a tin
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. object — a thing
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. march — the month
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. object — to protest
  20. branch — a division
  21. stock — shares
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. fine — all right
  24. stock — a soup base

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