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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. stock — goods
  3. sharp — clever
  4. mug — to rob
  5. stock — shares
  6. stand — to bear
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. fall — to drop
  10. scale — in music
  11. rock — a stone
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. rock — music
  15. mug — a cup
  16. scale — size or range
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. mug — a face
  19. fall — the season
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. stock — a soup base

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