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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: stand · march · mark · fall · key · craft · sharp · cabinet

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. sharp — clever
  3. mark — a grade
  4. fall — the season
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. fall — to drop
  8. fall — to drop
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. craft — boats
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. key — in music
  15. craft — a skill
  16. mark — a trace
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. march — music
  19. stand — to bear
  20. march — the month
  21. key — for a lock
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. march — the month

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