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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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. deal — an agreement
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. tear — to rip
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. spell — magic
  8. game — a match
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. tear — from crying
  11. game — wild animals
  12. stock — goods
  13. stock — shares
  14. tear — from crying
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. spell — letters
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. spell — a short time
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. deal — to handle
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. bowl — a football final

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