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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 supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. stock — shares
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. pop — music
  5. wind — moving air
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. cell — in biology
  10. stand — to bear
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. cell — a phone
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. pop — soda
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. pop — to visit
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. wind — moving air
  22. fork — in a road
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. fork — a garden tool

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