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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 124 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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. stand — to bear
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. pass — a permit
  10. rule — government
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. rule — a law
  13. stock — shares
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. season — of the year
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. stock — goods
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. season — in sport
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. pitcher — a jug

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