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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. stock — shares
  4. ground — a position
  5. ground — crushed
  6. bear — the animal
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. stock — goods
  10. ground — the earth
  11. bear — the animal
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. stand — to bear
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. cell — in biology
  17. chair — a leader
  18. bank — for money
  19. bank — of a river
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. cell — a phone
  23. bank — for money
  24. chair — a professorship

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