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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. stand — to bear
  3. stock — goods
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. prune — to trim
  7. stock — shares
  8. hand — in cards
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. mark — a grade
  12. mark — a trace
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. prune — to trim
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. hand — help

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