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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: stock · present · cell · stand · pit · last

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. stand — to bear
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. last — finally
  5. present — there
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. cell — in biology
  8. stock — shares
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. present — the time now
  11. stock — goods
  12. pit — in a race
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. cell — a phone
  16. present — a gift
  17. last — final
  18. last — to go on

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