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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 120 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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. spell — letters
  3. key — for a lock
  4. stem — to come from
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. stock — goods
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. lean — thin
  10. stock — shares
  11. stand — to bear
  12. key — in music
  13. last — finally
  14. spell — magic
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. key — the most important part
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. spell — a short time
  19. tube — a container
  20. last — to go on
  21. last — final
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. tube — the underground
  24. lean — to bend

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