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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: mark · season · march · rock · rush · kid · fork · stand

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. rock — music
  3. fork — in a road
  4. kid — child
  5. rock — a stone
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. rush — hurry
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. march — the month
  12. stand — to bear
  13. kid — to tease
  14. season — of the year
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. mark — a trace
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. season — in sport
  20. march — the month
  21. march — music
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. mark — a grade
  24. stand — for spectators

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