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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: mark · bear · jam · hand · key · cabinet · march · stock

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. mark — a grade
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. hand — in cards
  5. march — music
  6. bear — the animal
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. key — in music
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. march — the month
  13. key — the most important part
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. march — the month
  16. stock — goods
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. bear — the animal
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. stock — shares
  23. hand — help
  24. mark — a trace

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