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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. rest — what's left
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. stock — goods
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. tear — to rip
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. tear — from crying
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. root — of a plant
  14. rest — what's left
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. root — the cause
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. stock — shares
  19. root — of a word
  20. pitch — completely
  21. rest — a break
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. tear — from crying

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