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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 lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. stock — goods
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. row — to paddle
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. cue — a hint
  10. root — of a plant
  11. cue — for pool
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. hand — in cards
  15. chest — of your body
  16. chest — of your body
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. stock — shares
  19. hand — help
  20. root — the cause
  21. row — a line
  22. root — of a word
  23. cue — a signal
  24. stand — to bear

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