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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. fall — to drop
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. clip — a video
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. stock — shares
  7. stock — goods
  8. fall — to drop
  9. rest — what's left
  10. content — happy
  11. rest — what's left
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. rest — a break
  15. fall — the season
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. content — the amount
  19. clip — for paper
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. stand — to bear
  22. clip — to cut
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. arm — a part of something

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