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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: mark · bore · toast · face · stock · foot · date · march

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. date — the fruit
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. march — the month
  5. march — music
  6. foot — a measure
  7. mark — a trace
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. face — to confront
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. stock — goods
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. bore — to drill
  14. toast — bread
  15. mark — a grade
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. march — the month
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. stock — shares
  21. face — to point toward
  22. bore — to tire
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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