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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. stand — to bear
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. drill — the tool
  7. stock — goods
  8. drill — a practice
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. pound — a weight
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. wake — a trail
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. stock — shares
  24. drill — army training

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