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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. stock — shares
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. club — a group
  6. rule — a law
  7. staff — employees
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. staff — a stick
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. staff — employees
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. rule — government
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. stand — to bear
  21. stock — goods
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. club — for golf
  24. plane — a tool

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