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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. stand — to bear
  3. track — to keep track
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. track — a path
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. bore — to drill
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. stock — goods
  11. deal — to handle
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. track — a song
  14. band — a music group
  15. band — a ring
  16. bore — to tire
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. stock — shares
  24. bat — the animal

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