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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 116 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. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. stock — goods
  3. fall — to drop
  4. fall — to drop
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. mate — a partner
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. march — music
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. march — the month
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. march — the month
  15. staff — employees
  16. mate — to breed
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. staff — a stick
  19. stand — to bear
  20. staff — employees
  21. mate — a friend
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. fall — the season
  24. fan — to cool the air

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