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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. stand — to bear
  3. drill — a practice
  4. mark — a trace
  5. stock — goods
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. stock — shares
  9. cell — a phone
  10. bank — for money
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. wound — an injury
  15. court — of law
  16. drill — army training
  17. wound — an injury
  18. bank — of a river
  19. court — of a king
  20. drill — the tool
  21. mark — a grade
  22. bank — for money
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. court — for sport

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