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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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. content — happy
  3. bear — the animal
  4. stock — shares
  5. bear — the animal
  6. content — the amount
  7. rock — a stone
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. game — a match
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. rock — music
  13. stand — to bear
  14. firm — decided
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. game — wild animals
  17. firm — a company
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. spell — a short time
  20. firm — steady
  21. spell — letters
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. spell — magic
  24. stock — goods

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