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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. mark — a trace
  3. stock — goods
  4. stand — to bear
  5. spell — a short time
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. saw — the tool
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. saw — the tool
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. wake — a trail
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. dip — to sink
  17. spell — magic
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. spell — letters
  24. stock — shares

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