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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: march · suit · hide · fan · stick · court · leaves · stock

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. march — music
  7. stock — goods
  8. court — for sport
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. suit — to fit
  15. march — the month
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. stock — shares
  18. court — of a king
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. suit — clothes
  22. suit — in cards
  23. court — of law
  24. march — the month

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