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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 120 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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. board — a committee
  4. stock — shares
  5. tear — from crying
  6. tear — from crying
  7. stock — goods
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. suit — clothes
  10. stand — to bear
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. board — to get on
  14. net — after costs
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. net — for catching
  19. net — in sport
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. suit — in cards
  22. deal — to handle
  23. tear — to rip
  24. suit — to fit

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