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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 · band · spell · rest · temple · stand · stock · court

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. rest — what's left
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. march — the month
  7. court — for sport
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. band — a music group
  10. rest — what's left
  11. court — of a king
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. march — music
  14. band — a ring
  15. stock — goods
  16. march — the month
  17. court — of law
  18. rest — a break
  19. stock — shares
  20. spell — letters
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. spell — magic
  23. stand — to bear
  24. stand — on your feet

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