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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 120 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. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. fine — high quality
  3. chair — a leader
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. stand — to bear
  8. fine — all right
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. row — to paddle
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. stock — shares
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. row — a line
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. chest — of your body
  20. bark — to shout
  21. chest — of your body
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. stock — goods
  24. row — a quarrel

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