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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 train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. firm — steady
  4. squash — the sport
  5. pass — a permit
  6. prune — to trim
  7. fall — the season
  8. prune — to trim
  9. firm — a company
  10. stock — goods
  11. race — the arms race
  12. stock — shares
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. fall — to drop
  15. squash — to crush
  16. race — a contest
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. race — humankind
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. fall — to drop
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. firm — decided
  24. stand — to bear

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