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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. stand — to bear
  3. stock — goods
  4. bound — obliged
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. bound — certain
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. field — for sport
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. lean — thin
  11. stock — shares
  12. cue — a hint
  13. bound — tied together
  14. cue — for pool
  15. cue — a signal
  16. field — farmland
  17. scale — size or range
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. scale — in music
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. field — a subject
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. lean — to bend

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