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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 116 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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. firm — decided
  3. spring — the season
  4. firm — a company
  5. rash — hasty
  6. court — for sport
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. stock — shares
  9. bass — low music
  10. stock — goods
  11. firm — steady
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. club — a group
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. spring — of water
  17. club — for dancing
  18. court — of law
  19. bass — the fish
  20. court — of a king
  21. spring — a coil
  22. club — for golf
  23. rash — a series
  24. stand — to bear

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