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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. stock — shares
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. cold — an illness
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. row — a line
  15. stock — goods
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. stand — to bear
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. cold — not warm
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. row — to paddle

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