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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: tube · march · rest · game · fine · stock · foot · temple

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. fine — all right
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. march — music
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. stock — shares
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. foot — a measure
  10. rest — what's left
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. game — a match
  13. rest — what's left
  14. march — the month
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. tube — a container
  17. rest — a break
  18. fine — high quality
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. march — the month
  22. game — wild animals
  23. stock — goods
  24. game — a kind of play

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