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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: shower · stock · fine · pit · perch · field · cap · march

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. cap — of ice
  7. perch — the fish
  8. shower — to wash
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. pit — a hole
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. fine — high quality
  13. field — for sport
  14. stock — goods
  15. fine — all right
  16. pit — in a race
  17. cap — a hat
  18. march — music
  19. march — the month
  20. field — farmland
  21. cap — a lid
  22. field — a subject
  23. stock — shares
  24. shower — rain

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