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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: fine · leaves · march · stock · lie · court · pitch · jam

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. court — of law
  3. court — of a king
  4. march — music
  5. stock — shares
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. stock — goods
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. fine — high quality
  10. fine — all right
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. court — for sport
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. march — the month
  21. pitch — completely
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. march — the month
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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