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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. stock — goods
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. face — part of the head
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. present — a gift
  9. stand — to bear
  10. stock — shares
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. race — the arms race
  13. face — to confront
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. present — the time now
  17. bat — the animal
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. plane — a tool
  20. race — a contest
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. face — to point toward
  23. present — there
  24. race — humankind

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