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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 · track · fan · season · mate · stock · tear · bore

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. tear — from crying
  3. bore — to tire
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. march — music
  6. stock — shares
  7. tear — to rip
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. track — a path
  11. mate — to breed
  12. mate — a partner
  13. bore — to drill
  14. mate — a friend
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. season — in sport
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. season — of the year
  19. tear — from crying
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. track — a song
  22. track — to keep track
  23. stock — goods
  24. march — the month

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