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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. saw — the tool
  4. drill — army training
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. drill — a practice
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. drill — the tool
  9. chip — for betting
  10. stock — goods
  11. wound — an injury
  12. stock — shares
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. saw — the tool
  18. stand — to bear
  19. chip — to eat
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. wound — an injury
  24. rush — hurry

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