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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. firm — a company
  3. stock — goods
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. march — music
  10. date — the fruit
  11. firm — steady
  12. stand — to bear
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. fine — all right
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. stock — shares
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. march — the month
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. fine — high quality
  24. firm — decided

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