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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. kid — child
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. can — to be able to
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. can — a tin
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. cell — a phone
  13. pass — a permit
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. stand — to bear
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. stock — shares
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. cell — in biology
  20. kid — to tease
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. stock — goods
  24. stand — for spectators

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