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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. squash — the sport
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. pass — a permit
  6. cell — in biology
  7. can — to be able to
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. stock — shares
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. stand — to bear
  15. squash — to crush
  16. craft — boats
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. craft — a skill
  19. can — a tin
  20. wind — moving air
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. wind — moving air
  23. stock — goods
  24. cell — a phone

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