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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 116 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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. stock — goods
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. suit — in cards
  7. bass — low music
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. object — a thing
  11. bass — the fish
  12. suit — to fit
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. stock — shares
  16. wake — a trail
  17. suit — clothes
  18. object — to protest
  19. object — an aim
  20. stand — to bear
  21. cell — a phone
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. cell — in biology

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