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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. spring — of water
  3. firm — a company
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. stock — shares
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. hand — help
  8. stock — goods
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. firm — decided
  11. hand — in cards
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. scale — in music
  15. suit — clothes
  16. spring — the season
  17. stand — to bear
  18. firm — steady
  19. spring — a coil
  20. scale — size or range
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. suit — to fit
  23. suit — in cards
  24. fan — a supporter

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