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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.

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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 can't ________________ this cold.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. game — wild animals
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. fall — the season
  8. stock — goods
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. hand — help
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. fall — to drop
  13. rash — hasty
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. rash — a series
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. stock — shares
  18. game — a match
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. hand — in cards
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. fall — to drop
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. ruler — for measuring

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