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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: staff · stock · march · coach · present · face · mark · sharp

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. march — the month
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. present — there
  6. march — music
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. staff — employees
  11. face — to confront
  12. stock — goods
  13. stock — shares
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. mark — a grade
  16. face — to point toward
  17. face — part of the head
  18. staff — a stick
  19. present — a gift
  20. mark — a trace
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. present — the time now
  23. staff — employees
  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