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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. content — the amount
  4. craft — a skill
  5. stock — goods
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. stock — shares
  8. content — happy
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. race — a contest
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. race — humankind
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. race — the arms race
  16. craft — boats
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. kid — child
  20. kid — to tease
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. stand — to bear
  24. wave — with your hand

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