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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: rash · rock · fork · club · firm · jam · hide · march

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. fork — in a road
  3. firm — decided
  4. club — for dancing
  5. march — the month
  6. rock — music
  7. rash — hasty
  8. club — a group
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. march — music
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. club — for golf
  19. march — the month
  20. firm — steady
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. rock — a stone
  24. firm — a company

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