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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. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. march — the month
  3. stand — to bear
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. march — the month
  6. mark — a trace
  7. rash — hasty
  8. mark — a grade
  9. kid — child
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. kid — to tease
  13. stock — goods
  14. march — music
  15. bulb — for light
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. rash — a series
  19. fork — in a road
  20. bulb — for light
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. stock — shares
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. rash — on the skin

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