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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 120 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 light ________________ burned out.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. bulb — for light
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. scale — in music
  6. staff — employees
  7. stock — shares
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. object — a thing
  10. staff — employees
  11. pound — a weight
  12. stock — goods
  13. ball — a dance
  14. scale — size or range
  15. staff — a stick
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. ball — a great time
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. object — an aim
  20. march — the month
  21. march — music
  22. bulb — for light
  23. object — to protest
  24. scale — for weighing

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