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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: stand · stock · rule · bowl · jam · date · bear · content

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. rule — government
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. date — the fruit
  8. bear — the animal
  9. content — happy
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. stock — shares
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. stock — goods
  15. stand — to bear
  16. rule — a law
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. content — the amount
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. bear — the animal
  24. stand — on your feet

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