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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. pound — a weight
  4. game — wild animals
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. scale — in music
  9. stock — shares
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. vault — a safe
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. squash — the sport
  18. squash — to crush
  19. scale — size or range
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. game — a match
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. stock — goods

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