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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
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: deal · march · fine · rest · rush · stock · fork · mark

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. march — the month
  3. fine — all right
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. rest — what's left
  7. stock — shares
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. deal — to handle
  10. fork — in a road
  11. rush — hurry
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. march — music
  15. fine — high quality
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. march — the month
  21. mark — a trace
  22. mark — a grade
  23. rest — a break
  24. stock — goods

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