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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. suit — in cards
  4. mate — to breed
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. stand — to bear
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. stock — shares
  10. mate — a partner
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. mate — a friend
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. game — a match
  18. game — wild animals
  19. capital — money
  20. stem — to come from
  21. stock — goods
  22. capital — a city
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. suit — clothes

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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