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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. bore — to tire
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. ground — crushed
  8. mate — a friend
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. mate — to breed
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. ground — a position
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. bore — to drill
  16. mate — a partner
  17. bat — the animal
  18. stock — shares
  19. stock — goods
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. vault — a safe
  24. ground — the earth

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