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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 can't ________________ this cold.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. stock — goods
  3. sharp — clever
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. tube — the underground
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. perch — the fish
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. tube — a container
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. pound — a weight
  18. stock — shares
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. toast — bread
  23. wake — a trail
  24. sharp — with an edge

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