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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 116 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 had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. present — there
  3. stock — shares
  4. row — a line
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. row — to paddle
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. stock — goods
  9. wax — to grow
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. fall — to drop
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. present — the time now
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. pit — a hole
  16. stand — to bear
  17. fall — to drop
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. pit — in a race
  20. present — a gift
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. fall — the season

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