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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 smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. stand — to bear
  5. net — after costs
  6. mate — a friend
  7. stock — shares
  8. net — in sport
  9. mate — to breed
  10. snap — to click
  11. drill — a practice
  12. stem — to come from
  13. sharp — clever
  14. mate — a partner
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. net — for catching
  19. stock — goods
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. drill — army training
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. drill — the tool

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