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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 · stock · mug · safe · land · pitch · trunk · suit

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  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. suit — to fit
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. suit — in cards
  7. suit — clothes
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. march — the month
  10. land — to come down
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. mug — to rob
  13. stock — shares
  14. march — the month
  15. stock — goods
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. pitch — completely
  18. mug — a face
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. land — ground
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. mug — a cup
  23. land — a country
  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