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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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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 · season · stock · safe · cold · suit · bay · capital

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. cold — not warm
  8. march — the month
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. season — in sport
  12. season — of the year
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. suit — to fit
  15. suit — in cards
  16. cold — an illness
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. capital — a city
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. stock — goods
  21. march — the month
  22. suit — clothes
  23. capital — money
  24. stock — shares

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