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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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 · season · present · stock · kick · suit · hide · swing

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. suit — in cards
  3. swing — music
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. march — the month
  6. stock — shares
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. march — music
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. season — of the year
  11. present — a gift
  12. suit — clothes
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. present — there
  17. march — the month
  18. kick — in football
  19. season — in sport
  20. swing — in golf
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. suit — to fit
  23. stock — goods
  24. present — the time now

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