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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 116 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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. key — for a lock
  4. chair — a leader
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. stock — shares
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. chip — to eat
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. key — the most important part
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. chip — for betting
  13. key — in music
  14. stock — goods
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. fan — a supporter

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