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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. row — a line
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. stock — goods
  5. vault — a safe
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. pitch — completely
  8. pop — soda
  9. fall — to drop
  10. row — to paddle
  11. fall — the season
  12. pop — music
  13. march — music
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. march — the month
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. track — to keep track
  18. pop — to visit
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. fall — to drop
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. stock — shares
  23. track — a path
  24. track — a song

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