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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. That was a fun ________________.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. game — a match
  3. bank — of a river
  4. bank — for money
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. stock — goods
  8. bank — for money
  9. spell — a short time
  10. stock — shares
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. stand — to bear
  13. firm — a company
  14. firm — steady
  15. spell — letters
  16. chip — to eat
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. firm — decided
  21. chip — for betting
  22. game — wild animals
  23. spell — magic
  24. nail — on a finger

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