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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. object — to protest
  3. stock — shares
  4. snap — to click
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. scale — in music
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. object — a thing
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. capital — money
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. object — an aim
  15. capital — a city
  16. stand — to bear
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. stock — goods
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. scale — size or range
  24. stand — on your feet

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