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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. staff — employees
  4. race — the arms race
  5. stand — to bear
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. shower — to wash
  9. stock — goods
  10. staff — employees
  11. court — for sport
  12. wake — a trail
  13. rock — a stone
  14. shower — rain
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. rock — music
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. staff — a stick
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. race — a contest
  21. court — of law
  22. court — of a king
  23. race — humankind
  24. stock — shares

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