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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 band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. stock — shares
  3. march — the month
  4. drill — the tool
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. pit — a hole
  8. bound — obliged
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. perch — the fish
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. stand — to bear
  14. march — the month
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. drill — army training
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. bound — certain
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. bound — tied together
  21. stock — goods
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. drill — a practice
  24. pit — in a race

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