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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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. stock — goods
  4. chip — for betting
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. last — final
  7. mark — a trace
  8. stock — shares
  9. firm — a company
  10. bore — to tire
  11. last — to go on
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. last — finally
  14. wake — a trail
  15. mark — a grade
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. chip — to eat
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. firm — decided
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. bore — to drill

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