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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 ________________ market has crashed.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. suit — in cards
  10. suit — clothes
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. squash — the sport
  17. fork — in a road
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. stock — goods
  20. suit — to fit
  21. chair — a leader
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. squash — to crush
  24. chair — a professorship

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