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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: charge · safe · hand · season · stand · march · fan · stock

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. march — music
  3. charge — in control
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. march — the month
  6. hand — help
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. charge — a price
  9. season — of the year
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. march — the month
  13. charge — electricity
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. hand — in cards
  19. stock — shares
  20. stand — to bear
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. stock — goods

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