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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: chest · racket · mark · stock · firm · rest · march · pass

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. mark — a trace
  3. pass — a permit
  4. chest — of your body
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. rest — a break
  7. stock — shares
  8. firm — steady
  9. chest — of your body
  10. march — music
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. chest — a box
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. march — the month
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. march — the month
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. firm — a company
  19. rest — what's left
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. mark — a grade
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. firm — decided
  24. rest — what's left

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