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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 120 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 · stand · bowl · net · stock · rush · craft · object

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. march — the month
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. rush — hurry
  6. object — to protest
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. craft — boats
  9. net — after costs
  10. stock — shares
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. net — in sport
  13. march — the month
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. stand — to bear
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. stock — goods
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. object — an aim
  21. net — for catching
  22. object — a thing
  23. craft — a skill
  24. stand — on your feet

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