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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · suit · trunk · craft · mug · stock · drill · rash

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. mug — a cup
  3. suit — clothes
  4. mug — a face
  5. march — the month
  6. rash — hasty
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. march — the month
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. drill — the tool
  11. march — music
  12. drill — a practice
  13. craft — a skill
  14. suit — in cards
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. rash — a series
  18. mug — to rob
  19. stock — shares
  20. craft — boats
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. stock — goods
  23. drill — army training
  24. suit — to fit

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