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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.

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: net · march · last · bear · land · stand · wake · fork

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. wake — a trail
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. fork — in a road
  6. land — to come down
  7. net — after costs
  8. net — for catching
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. bear — the animal
  11. stand — to bear
  12. march — the month
  13. last — finally
  14. last — final
  15. land — ground
  16. march — music
  17. last — to go on
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. net — in sport
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. land — a country
  22. bear — the animal
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. bear — to put up with

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