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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 ________________ market has crashed.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. pop — music
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. march — music
  5. pop — soda
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. march — the month
  8. kid — child
  9. stock — goods
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. stand — to bear
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. march — the month
  15. pop — to visit
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. kid — to tease

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