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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: pound · march · tear · board · toast · suit · stock · last

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. stock — shares
  5. suit — in cards
  6. suit — to fit
  7. last — final
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. march — the month
  12. board — to get on
  13. toast — bread
  14. last — to go on
  15. march — the month
  16. tear — from crying
  17. tear — from crying
  18. suit — clothes
  19. board — a committee
  20. march — music
  21. pound — a weight
  22. last — finally
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. stock — goods

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