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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: cell · stock · object · bear · scale · pit · stand · bat

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. object — a thing
  3. cell — a phone
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. stand — to bear
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. bat — the animal
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. pit — in a race
  14. bear — the animal
  15. cell — in biology
  16. pit — a hole
  17. stock — goods
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. object — to protest
  20. scale — in music
  21. stock — shares
  22. scale — size or range
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. bear — the animal

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