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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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. firm — steady
  3. craft — a skill
  4. spring — the season
  5. march — the month
  6. firm — decided
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. stand — to bear
  9. stock — goods
  10. march — the month
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. cue — a hint
  13. cue — for pool
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. craft — boats
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. stock — shares
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. spring — of water
  20. cue — a signal
  21. march — music
  22. spring — a coil
  23. firm — a company
  24. jam — a tight spot

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