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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. stand — to bear
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. stock — shares
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. stock — goods
  8. fall — to drop
  9. fall — to drop
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. band — a ring
  12. mug — a face
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. sharp — clever
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. mug — a cup
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. mug — to rob
  20. fall — the season
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. band — a music group
  24. rush — a thrill

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