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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 didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. field — farmland
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. row — a line
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. wake — a trail
  11. row — to paddle
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. stand — to bear
  14. stock — goods
  15. current — electric
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. current — of water
  18. stock — shares
  19. current — happening now
  20. field — a subject
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. field — for sport

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