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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: stand · march · stock · foot · hand · fan · rush · stick

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. hand — help
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. march — the month
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. rush — hurry
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. stock — shares
  14. stock — goods
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. march — the month
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. stand — to bear
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. hand — in cards
  24. march — music

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