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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: stock · march · roll · date · mark · stand · press · spell

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. march — the month
  3. press — a publisher
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. stock — shares
  6. roll — a cake
  7. spell — a short time
  8. mark — a trace
  9. stand — to bear
  10. stock — goods
  11. mark — a grade
  12. march — the month
  13. press — to push
  14. spell — magic
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. press — newspapers
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. date — the fruit
  20. march — music
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. roll — a list
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. mark — to pay attention

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