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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. rash — a series
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. rock — a stone
  5. cap — a lid
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. cell — in biology
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. rock — music
  10. stand — to bear
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. rash — hasty
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. cap — of ice
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. mark — a grade
  17. bat — the animal
  18. stock — shares
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. cell — a phone
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. stock — goods
  24. cap — a hat

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