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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. The water is too ________________.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — not warm
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. stock — goods
  4. cold — an illness
  5. stand — to bear
  6. bank — for money
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. object — to protest
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. bank — for money
  11. chip — for betting
  12. stock — shares
  13. kick — in football
  14. chip — to eat
  15. object — an aim
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. bear — the animal
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. bank — of a river
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. bear — the animal
  23. object — a thing
  24. stand — on your feet

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