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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. plane — a tool
  3. stock — shares
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. mark — a trace
  6. file — a document
  7. charge — electricity
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. march — the month
  10. file — a tool
  11. present — there
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. march — music
  15. file — a line of people
  16. mark — a grade
  17. pound — a weight
  18. stock — goods
  19. charge — a price
  20. present — a gift
  21. present — the time now
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. charge — in control

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