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

Word bank: stand · march · key · temple · fall · content · pit · fork

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. march — music
  4. pit — a hole
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. march — the month
  7. stand — to bear
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. fork — in a road
  11. pit — in a race
  12. key — in music
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. key — for a lock
  15. fall — to drop
  16. fall — to drop
  17. content — the amount
  18. key — the most important part
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. content — happy
  21. march — the month
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. fall — the season

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