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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. drill — the tool
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. game — a match
  8. craft — boats
  9. land — ground
  10. fine — high quality
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. drill — army training
  13. craft — a skill
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. stock — shares
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. fine — all right
  18. land — to come down
  19. stock — goods
  20. chair — a leader
  21. land — a country
  22. drill — a practice
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. game — wild animals

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