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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 can't ________________ this cold.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. stock — goods
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. cold — not warm
  5. firm — a company
  6. capital — money
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. mug — a cup
  10. pitch — completely
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. capital — a city
  15. stock — shares
  16. mug — a face
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. firm — decided
  19. firm — steady
  20. dip — to sink
  21. mug — to rob
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. cold — an illness
  24. dip — a sauce

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