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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. stand — to bear
  3. pit — in a race
  4. last — to go on
  5. cell — in biology
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. present — the time now
  8. stock — goods
  9. stock — shares
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. last — finally
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. pit — a hole
  16. present — a gift
  17. present — there
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. last — final
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. craft — a skill
  24. craft — boats

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