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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. rest — what's left
  3. stock — shares
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. sharp — clever
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. mate — a friend
  9. rest — a break
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. snap — to click
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. stock — goods
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. rest — what's left
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. mate — a partner
  20. stand — to bear
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. mate — to breed
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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