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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. race — a contest
  5. stock — shares
  6. race — humankind
  7. stand — to bear
  8. tube — a container
  9. wind — moving air
  10. staff — employees
  11. wind — moving air
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. foot — a measure
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. stock — goods
  19. staff — a stick
  20. wake — a trail
  21. tube — the underground
  22. race — the arms race
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. staff — employees

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