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

Word bank: kid · toast · bowl · stock · rest · jam · cell · stand

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. stock — shares
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. cell — a phone
  6. stock — goods
  7. toast — bread
  8. rest — what's left
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. kid — child
  12. stand — to bear
  13. cell — in biology
  14. rest — what's left
  15. kid — to tease
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. rest — a break
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. stand — for spectators

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