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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: date · mate · stock · hand · stand · march · bay · present

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. stock — shares
  4. march — music
  5. present — there
  6. stock — goods
  7. hand — in cards
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. date — the fruit
  11. present — a gift
  12. march — the month
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. march — the month
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. hand — help
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. stand — to bear
  22. mate — a partner
  23. present — the time now
  24. mate — to breed

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