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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 120 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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. stock — goods
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. stock — shares
  6. bound — certain
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. root — of a plant
  9. root — of a word
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. bound — obliged
  12. root — the cause
  13. stand — to bear
  14. ground — the earth
  15. pitch — completely
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. ground — a position
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. hand — in cards
  20. ground — crushed
  21. bound — tied together
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. stock — a soup base

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