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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. stand — to bear
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. rest — a break
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. stock — shares
  7. stock — goods
  8. rest — what's left
  9. content — the amount
  10. cell — in biology
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. hand — in cards
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. content — happy
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. rest — what's left
  19. pass — a permit
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. hand — help
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. bat — the animal
  24. cell — a phone

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