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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: stock · kick · rest · last · bay · racket · march · scale

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. rest — what's left
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. last — finally
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. stock — goods
  11. march — the month
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. stock — shares
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. last — final
  16. kick — in football
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. rest — what's left
  19. rest — a break
  20. march — the month
  21. scale — size or range
  22. scale — in music
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. last — to go on

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