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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. row — a line
  4. stock — shares
  5. band — a ring
  6. scale — size or range
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. row — to paddle
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. scale — in music
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. stand — to bear
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. hand — help
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. fork — in a road
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. stock — goods
  24. band — a music group

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