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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: stock · trunk · stick · stand · jam · march · cue · lash

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. stock — goods
  9. cue — for pool
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. march — the month
  13. stock — shares
  14. cue — a signal
  15. stand — to bear
  16. cue — a hint
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. march — the month
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. trunk — of a car

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