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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. staff — a stick
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. fork — in a road
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. tear — from crying
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. tear — from crying
  10. staff — employees
  11. tear — to rip
  12. stock — goods
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. stock — shares
  16. race — a contest
  17. staff — employees
  18. stand — to bear
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. race — humankind
  21. race — the arms race
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. racket — for tennis

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