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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: march · suit · face · stock · stick · firm · cabinet · roll

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. suit — clothes
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. roll — a cake
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. face — to confront
  8. march — the month
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. firm — a company
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. face — part of the head
  13. march — the month
  14. march — music
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. face — to point toward
  17. roll — a list
  18. suit — to fit
  19. stock — shares
  20. firm — steady
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. stock — goods
  23. firm — decided
  24. suit — in cards

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